Fluminense have done quite well in the tournament so far, and they will certainly see their chances of getting a good result vs Chelsea in the first FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.
The Brazilian outfit are currently on an 11-match unbeaten run, and they have kept five clean sheets in their last seven outings. Fluminense’s defence has been formidable, and they will look to shut out Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are in impressive form as well. The Blues have won four of their last five matches in the Club World Cup, and they will be confident of getting a good result here. On paper, the West London outfit have the better set of players, and they will be the favourite to grind out of victory.
Chelsea will want to win the tournament, and it remains to be seen whether they can get the job done here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Centre-back Juan Pablo Freytes and midfielder Matheus Martinelli are both ruled out due to suspension. Fluminense are likely to shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation vs Chelsea, with Fabio in goal.
In the back three, Ignacio will start alongside Thiago Silva and Thiago Santos. Samuel Xavier and Gabriel Fuentes will start as the wing-backs here. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
Facundo Bernal and Hercules will start in the middle of the park. They will look to keep things compact and help out defensively. Nonato will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates. He will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, German Cano and Jhon Arias will lead the attacking unit for Fluminense vs Chelsea.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Fabio; Ignacio, Silva, Santos; Xavier, Bernal, Hercules, Fuentes; Nonato; Cano, Arias
Mykhailo Mudryk is unavailable due to a doping ban. Other than that, Wesley Fofana is ruled out with a hamstring issue. Liam Delap and Levi Colwill are both suspended after receiving yellow cards in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras.
Chelsea are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Fluminense, with Robert Sanchez in goal. Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Trevoh Chalobah will form the central defensive partnership alongside Benoit Badiashile.
As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez will pair up in the double pivot. Caicedo will look to protect the back four and break down the opposition attacks, and Fernandez will look to add creativity and control to the side.
Cole Palmer will reprise the attacking midfield role, and he will look to add goals and creativity to the side. Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto will start on either side of the English international. They will add pace and flair to the attack. Finally, Nicolas Jackson will lead the line for Chelsea vs Fluminense.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
The Chelsea midfielder is our key player to watch out for. He has been in impressive form, and he will look to help his side create goalscoring chances. He will also look to control the tempo of the game from the middle of the park.
Chelsea will need the Argentine international to step up and deliver if they want to dominate the game here. It remains to be seen whether the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner can step up and deliver a crucial performance for his team in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this will be a crunch contest. Neither side will want to end up with a defeat. They have done quite well in the tournament so far, and it will be difficult to separate them.
However, Chelsea are the better team on paper and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory here. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but the Premier League side will emerge victorious. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Enzo Maresca and his charges
