Palmeiras vs Chelsea predictions: Blues can edge repeat of 2021 final
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- Chelsea beat Palmeiras 2-1 after extra time in the 2021 Club World Cup final
- Palmeiras have won only one of their four matches at the tournament in 90 minutes
- Recommended bet: Chelsea to win
A field of 32 teams began the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup but only eight remain and Chelsea take on Brazilian side Palmeiras in a repeat of the 2021 final at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in the early hours on Saturday.
The Blues may be wary of facing Brazilian opposition after they lost 3-1 to Flamengo in their group, but Palmeiras have not really caught fire yet in the tournament and edged into the last eight by winning their all-Brazilian round-of-16 clash against Botafogo.
Team news
Chelsea's squad has been bolstered by the arrival of new signing Joao Pedro from Brighton, who is eligible to play having not previously appeared for any other team in the tournament.
Striker Nicolas Jackson is available again after serving a two-match suspension for his red card against Flamengo, but midfielder Moises Caicedo is now suspended and Wesley Fofano remains sidelined by injury.
Palmeiras will be able to field star winger Estevao Willian against Chelsea even though he is set to join the Blues immediately after the tournament, having signed in May 2024.
Gustavo Gomez and Joaquin Piquerez are suspended, while Murilo is injured.
The stats
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Both teams have scored in only one of Palmeiras' last eight fixtures and three of their four games at the Club World Cup have been draws after 90 minutes.
Chelsea have won five of their last nine games while keeping a clean sheet.
Only two of Palmeiras' last 15 matches have generated over 3.5 goals.
Pedro Neto is Chelsea's top scorer at the tournament with three goals.
Prediction
Chelsea's rollercoaster of a season continues and after Manchester City's midweek exit against Al-Hilal they are now the only club flying the flag for the Premier League at the Club World Cup.
The Blues have had a mixed bag of performances and results so far in the tournament and the match that might concern Blues fans the most was the 3-1 defeat by Flamengo in their second outing, as Palmeiras are only a couple of points behind their fellow Brazilians in the current Serie A standings.
Set against that, though, are the relatively unimpressive results of the South American side, who played out a goalless game with Porto in their only match against European opposition so far.
Palmeiras beat Al Ahly 2-0 then needed two goals in the last 10 minutes to draw 2-2 with MLS side Inter Miami to top an uninspiring group.
They beat Botafogo 1-0 in extra time after another goalless encounter in the last 16 and they are hardly a free-scoring side so Chelsea's extra firepower, now boosted by the arrival of Joao Pedro, should see them squeezing through to the semi-finals.
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