Flamengo vs Chelsea Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage
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Former Chelsea defender Filipe Luis leads his Flamengo side into a clash with Chelsea for their second group game in this summer’s 2025 FIFA Club World Cup this week.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN & Channel 5 / US – DAZN
Flamengo team news: Nothing fresh
Uruguay international midfielder Nicolas de la Cruz missed out on the squad in their opening game against Esperance de Tunis, and he remains a doubt for this one. There are no other fresh injury concerns or suspension issues for Flamengo to deal with.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Rossi; Guillermo Varela, Ortiz, Pereira, Ayrton Lucas; Erick Pulgar, Jorginho; Gerson, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Luiz Araujo; Pedro
Unavailable:
Questionable: Nicolas de la Cruz (Injured)
Chelsea team news: Nothing new
Liam Delap came off the bench to make his Chelsea debut the other day and provided an assist for Enzo Fernandez, so he may well start in this one. Wesley Fofana missed out on the squad due to injury, whilst Mykhaylo Mudryk was also left out due to his ban.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Delap
Unavailable:
Questionable:
Key stats
- This is Chelsea’s third FIFA club competition match against a Brazilian team. Both previous encounters were in what is now known as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™; a 1-0 defeat against Corinthians in the 2012 final and a 2-1 extra-time success against Palmeiras in the 2021 competition final.
- Flamengo head coach Filipe Luís played in his club’s last FIFA club competition match against an English team, a 1-0 extra-time defeat against Liverpool in the final of what is now known as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ in 2019.
- Chelsea have won nine of their last ten games in all competitions.
- Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sánchez has kept three successive clean sheets in all competitions.
- Flamengo have won seven and drawn two of their last nine matches in all competitions.
- Flamengo goalkeeper Agustin Rossi has kept a clean sheet in his last seven matches in all competitions.
- Flamengo’s Uruguayan international Giorgian de Arrascaeta has scored eight goals in his last 12 competitive matches for club and country and he was named Michelob ULTRA Superior Player of the Match in their opening fixture against Espérance.
- Flamengo head coach Filipe Luís spent the 2014/15 season as a Chelsea player, making 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal, and winning the Premier League and League Cup with the London club.
- Flamengo’s Italian midfielder Jorginho, a recent arrival from English club Arsenal, was a Chelsea player from July 2018 to January 2023. He played 213 matches for the club and was highly influential in their success in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League, which secured their berth at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.
- Flamengo’s Brazilian defender Danilo played in England for Manchester City (2017-19), while his Uruguayan team-mates at Flamengo, Guillermo Varela and Matías Viña, both had short spells at Manchester United and Bournemouth respectively.
- Flamengo’s Gonzalo Plata and Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo are fellow Ecuador internationals who started all three games together for their country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
- Flamengo’s Nicolás de la Cruz and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández were River Plate team-mates in 2021 and 2022.
Flamengo vs Chelsea prediction
Filipe Luis has enjoyed an impressive start to his managerial career, leading Flamengo to the Copa do Brasil earlier this year. They began their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage campaign well, too, with a comfortable 2-0 defeat of Esperance de Tunis the other day, thanks to goals from Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Araujo.
The 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League winners Chelsea endured a hard-fought victory over late qualifiers Los Angeles FC in their opening game. The Blues were the stronger of the two sides and eventually earned themselves three points with goals in either half from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.
Enzo Maresca’s style of football is deliberate and controlled, thus often quite slow, and that may well suit Flamengo, as a point would leave both sides content. A low-scoring affair may well therefore be a good bet for this one.
Flamengo vs Chelsea tip: Under 2.5 goals
