Preview

Jun

2025

Preview: Benfica take on Chelsea in Club World Cup Round of 16

The group stage is done; 32 teams are now just 16 with some big names heading home. Most of them, however, remain in the tournament. Chelsea stumbled while Benfica shone, the two face off with a place in the quarters up for grabs.

By Alex Roberts

Enzo Maresca’s side may be looking at this one as a fairly ‘favourable’ tie, missing out on a potential game with Bayern Munich after finishing second in Group D but the Portuguese side certainly won’t be pushovers.

Liam Delap has arrived

Three games, two goal contributions for the Chelsea newbie. Delap bagged his first goal in the 3-0 win over Espérance, receiving the ball, holding off the defender, and cooly slotting past the ‘keeper.

It’s been a while since the Chelsea fans have seen a number nine do anything like that and with memories of Álvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuaín, and Radamel Falcao still fresh in the mind, it’s caused quite the stir.

With Nicolas Jackson suspended for one more game, he has the chance to prove himself against an established European side as he and his teammates prepare for next season’s Champions League. Maybe the curse is broken…

An Ángel gets his wings

Once Benfica depart the Club World Cup, Ángel di Maria will leave Benfica. Undoubtedly one of the most underrated players of his generation, he will be heading back home to play for boyhood club Rosario Central.

He was their star man throughout the group stage, scoring once in the 2-2 draw with Boca Juniors and then bagging a brace in the 6-0 victory over Auckland City FC, making him the joint top scorer in the competition.

*Five players have scored three goals at the Club World Cup*

Even someone who’s been there and done it as much as Di Maria is in the dark as to how this tournament with go. Both sides have had looooong seasons but ending his time at Benfica with a good run, and maybe even a trophy, would be the perfect way to go.

Trying new things

Maresca has openly admitted that he’s using the tournament to try new things ahead of the 2025-26 season. Perhaps most notably, he put Cole Palmer out on the right in the 3-1 defeat to Flamengo, where he was largely ineffective.

One thing that has been a huge success, however, is playing Enzo Fernández slightly higher up the pitch. He’s not quite in the number ten role, but he’s not far off. The World Cup winner took his assist tally to 16 for the season vs Espérance.

No matter the tournament, Maresca will want to get his hands on that trophy when push comes to shove but one thing is for certain, he’ll still INSIST on sticking Reece James in the midfield.

A safe pair of hands

They’re a pretty hot commodity nowadays. Anatoliy Trubin has quietly established himself as one of the more reliable young ‘keepers on the continent, conceding just 28 goals and keeping 13 clean sheets in his 32 league games.

He’s kept that good form up in the Club World Cup, winning the Player of the Match award in the 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, making four saves, six recoveries, and two high claims over the 90 minutes.

Chelsea’s situation between the sticks isn’t quite as stable, although Robert Sánchez has certainly improved since the turn of the year. This game will be tight, and Trubin can handle the pressure.

Prediction

These two sides are probably more even than many may think, under Bruno Lage, Benfica are hard to break down and Chelsea often struggle against defensively solid sides. We think the Premier League side will go through 2-1 after extra time.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Club World Cup with FotMob this summer – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: Real Madrid round off the Group Stage against Salzburg

The easy part for Real Madrid is done: new manager in, new marquee signings in. Now comes the hard part: making sure the revamp yields wins and, in time, titles. The Club World Cup might be a stretch in terms of judging Xabi Alonso, but clearly there’s work to do.

By Karl Matchett

Teething troubles

For a manager who has, until now, habitually played with a back three, moving to Real Madrid who haven’t done so with any regularity for at least a couple of decades represented a dilemma. So far, Alonso has opted for a 4-3-3 and continuity – whether that’s the case after a pre-season remains to be seen. But it hasn’t been plain sailing. New addition Trent Alexander-Arnold has shown defensive insecurities more than once already, Raúl Asencio was sent-off seven minutes into their last match and while keeping the back four the same to start both games can help starting to breed familiarity, the central pairing are 20 and 22 years old. Some errors are to be expected.

Defensive woes for both

At the other end of the pitch in this game it might be a similar matter. Salzburg are not, to be sure, the defensive clown show they were in the brief reign of Pepijn Lijnders last season, when both Sturm Graz and Bayer Leverkusen – then coached by Alonso of course – managed to score five past them. But despite a clear uptick in results, both games at the Club World Cup have still shown they are rather more open than they’d like: despite taking four points so far, both Pachuca and Al Hilal out-shot Salzburg and tallied a better xG, 1.4 for the Mexicans and 1.49 for the Saudis. Real might not be all guns blazing, but they still have elite attackers. Openness at the back will be an issue.

Recent form

Salzburg won three of the last four in the Austrian Bundesliga campaign, then have won and drawn in their two at the Club World Cup. Real Madrid actually suffered five defeats in the last 12 across all competitions before the season proper ended, but still won their last three in LaLiga and have similarly drawn and won in the US.

Team news

Karim Konaté is a long-term absentee for Salzburg and Nicolás Capaldo has a broken toe. Real Madrid will be without the suspended Asencio, as well as six injured players including Endrick and Eduardo Camavinga. Doubts remain over Kylian Mbappé, who has been ill, but the Frenchman has returned to training this week.

Key player

A win for either side guarantees passage to the next round while the loser would need to await the group’s other game. In the absence of defensive solidity, then, a big attacking performance from Vinícius Júnior would be welcomed, as he’s been sub-par so far, scoring and assisting precisely zero. He has had three shots and created four chances – a total xA of 0.99 combined – so really needs to step it up.

*Madrid’s best rated players at the tournament so far*

Prediction

Real Madrid should have enough about them to score a couple of times, given the number of chances Salzburg give up, but it won’t be one-way traffic. Salzburg 1-3 Real Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Club World Cup with FotMob this summer — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: European giants clash as Juventus take on Man City

Two teams with a perfect record go head to head for top spot in Group G at the Club World Cup.

By Filip Mishov

Man City’s winless record against Juventus

A rare sight in football is watching a squad being discontent after a 6-0 win, but Manchester City needed to score at least one more goal to leapfrog Juventus and top Group G ahead of their direct meeting in the final round of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025‘s group phase. And it is no wonder that the Cityzens wanted to avoid a must-win match against the Old Lady given their poor record of three consecutive defeats and a couple of draws across UEFA’s club competitions over the past decade and a half.

The last meeting between the clubs ended with a Juventus win in the Champions League back in December last year, as Dušan Vlahović and Weston McKennie found the back of the net at Allianz Stadium in Turin.

Now, Igor Tudor and Pep Guardiola‘s squads will go head to head in Orlando for the top spot in Group G after both secured dominant wins against Wydad Casablanca and Al-Ain, respectively. Although, a draw will be enough for the 36-time Italian champions to seal it due to their higher number of goals scored (9) in comparison to the Blues (8), with both on same goal difference (+8). Furthermore, the second-placed team in the group will most likely face Real Madrid in the knockout stage, barring any surprises on Matchday 3 in Group H.

Key players

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is proving to be Kenan Yıldız‘s breakout club tournament as the Turkish wonderkid is the Bianconeri’s top scorer with three goals scored across the opening couple of matches and his role is enhancing with each passing minute.

Another playmaking jewel is shining brightly on the other side, as Rayan Cherki opened his goal account against Al-Ain and the French prodigy looked right at home in a Pep Guardiola team. The 21-year-old is expected to start against Juventus after his impressive cameo off the bench, and will be City’s main creative threat towards Michele Di Gregorio‘s goal who has made 10 saves in the opening two rounds, making him one of the top goalkeepers at the tournament so far.

Team news

Mattia Perin and Juan Cabal are confirmed absentees in the Igor Tudor-led squad, but Gleison Bremer is nearing a return from injury, although the match on Thursday might come too soon.

Claudio Echeverri scored an incredible free-kick for City in the win over Al-Ain, but the Argentine got substituted at half-time due to sustaining an ankle injury, which makes him doubtful for Group G’s decider. Mateo Kovačić and Jack Grealish remain unavailable as does Rico Lewis who’s one-match ban got extended to three matches for ‘serious foul play’.

Prediction

With Juventus (4.26 xG) and Manchester City (5.94 xG) being the only teams with a perfect record at the FIFA Club World Cup so far, I expect a tight match and an exciting goalfest with both sides eager to avoid the potential clash with Xabi Alonso‘s Real Madrid in the knockout stages.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Club World Cup with FotMob this summer – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: Chelsea need a result against Tunisian side Esperance

Chelsea require a positive result and performance to bounce back from losing to Flamengo and make the next round of the Club World Cup.

By Graham Ruthven

Response required

The 3-1 defeat to Flamengo was damaging for Chelsea. Not only did it put Enzo Maresca’s team on the back foot at the Club World Cup, it highlighted how the Blues remain a work-in-progress this summer.

Chelsea were distinctly second best against the Brazilian league leaders. It didn’t help that they were reduced to 10 men following Nicolas Jackson’s moment of madness minutes after the Senegalese striker was introduced off the bench.

Maresca needs a positive response from his players against Espérance, not just to reset the tone within the dressing room, but to secure a place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup. An early exit would be humiliating.

A draw would be enough for Chelsea to progress. Espérance, however, can make the last 16 by beating the Premier League outfit after seeing off Los Angeles FC in their last game.

The Tunisians have only lost once in all competitions since the start of April and will look to play on the break as they did against Flamengo when the Brazilians found it challenging to break through.

Key players

Liam Delap will lead the line for Chelsea with Jackson unavailable through suspension. The former Ipswich Town striker already looks to have dislodged Jackson from the lineup and is searching for his first goal in blue.

Cole Palmer was deployed on the right side of Chelsea’s midfield for the game against Flamengo, limiting his influence as an attacking threat. Maresca could therefore shift Palmer back into a central role to face Espérance.

Pedro Neto has enjoyed a strong tournament to date, scoring in back-to-back games. The winger will be a threat once more with his direct running and determination to get into the final third.

Youcef Belaïli scored the winning goal for Espérance against LAFC and the 33-year-old attacker is expected to be the Tunisian’s most dangerous player when they come up against Chelsea in Philadelphia.

Elias Mokwana will be another threat to the Chelsea backline with the 25-year-old set to start on the right wing where he will be up against Marc Cucurella. At the back, Yassine Meriah will be charged with organising the defensive line.

Team news

Maher Kanzari has a fully fit and available squad to choose from as Espérance attempt to reach the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup with what would be the biggest result in the Tunisian club’s history.

Jackson is suspended after seeing red in the loss to Flamengo, as mentioned. However, it’s likely Delap would have started as Chelsea’s first-choice centre forward regardless of Jackson’s availability.

Levi Colwill and Reece James are doubts due to illness. The pair missed training on Monday and might not have recovered in time. This could force Maresca to reshuffle his defence and midfield, meaning Roméo Lavia and Tosin Adarabioyo might be in line to start.

Prediction

After the embarrassment caused by Flamengo on Matchday 2 we’re fully expecting the Premier League side to respond and seal their progression safely through to the knockout stages of the competition: Espérance 0-2 Chelsea.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Club World Cup with FotMob this summer – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: Inter Miami meet Palmeiras in Group A showdown

Inter Miami return to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens to face Palmeiras in their final group stage match of the Club World Cup, with progress to the knockout stages looking likely.

By James Nalton

It will take a win for Al Ahly against Porto and a four-goal swing in goal difference to deny Inter Miami a place in the last 16.

The tournament had its Lionel Messi moment in Inter Miami’s previous game against Porto, and Inter Miami fans, and maybe some neutrals, will be hoping for more of the same.

Inter Miami have one foot in the last 16

In a reflection of Inter Miami’s 2025 season so far, both their results in the Club World Cup group stage have not gone according to pre-match expectations.

They might have been expected to defeat Al Ahly in the tournament opener, but drew 0-0.

Then, a defeat might have been predicted for them against Portuguese giants Porto, but they ran out 2-1 winners thanks to a classic Messi free-kick, having come back from a goal down.

It leaves them well placed in the group going into the final round of games. Because the tiebreakers are judged first on record between the teams tied in the table, rather than overall goal difference, the win against Porto puts them in a strong position.

Only Al Ahly can take Inter Miami’s place, and the Egyptian side would need to defeat Porto, and Inter Miami would need to lose to Palmeiras, along with a four-goal change in goal difference for that to happen.

If there is only a three-goal swing, it could come down to the fair-play table.

Though Inter Miami’s qualification looks all but assured, this is an unpredictable team playing in what has at times been an unpredictable tournament.

A South American edge

Given the large number of South American players in Inter Miami’s squad, this game could well have a Copa Libertadores feel to it.

Some of the entertainment seen in Conmebol’s premier continental club football competition has been transferred to this Club World Cup, and it’s been all the better for it.

From the atmosphere provided by the fans to the often frantic action on the pitch, this tournament has been at its best when teams from the south have been involved.

Inter Miami boast a large South American contingent, not least Messi himself, and fellow experienced big-name forward Luis Suárez, so this could provide similar entertainment.

A place at the top of Group A is up for grabs in this game, though, depending on what happens in Group B — who will be opponents of Group A teams in the last 16 — finishing top might not be a bonus.

The Palmeiras Messi

The Brazilian team features teenage star Estêvão, who will move to English Premier League side Chelsea after this tournament.

The highly-rated 18-year-old earned the nickname Messinho during his time in youth football, due to his likeness to Messi when dribbling on his left foot.

Though that moniker has since worn off as he made a name for himself, a match against his idol will provide additional intrigue.

Elsewhere, Palmeiras remains one of only two teams, along with Manchester City, not to have conceded a goal at this tournament.

They face the considerable task of keeping Messi quiet if they are to maintain that record.

Prediction

Draw. Palmeiras will be fancied to win this game, but having shown against Porto that they can mix it with European teams, Inter Miami will be looking to prove they can do the same against South American opposition.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Club World Cup with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: USMNT take on Haiti aiming to make it three wins from three at Gold Cup

Mauricio Pochettino’s lads are through to the next round with two wins from their first two Group D games while Haiti are in desperate need of a win if they have any hope of progressing. The two face-off at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

The former Chelsea and Tottenham boss has the luxury of being able to rest some of his key players ahead of the latter stages where they will likely face tougher opposition than the one’s they’ve met in the group.

An impressive turn around

After four consecutive defeats ahead of the tournament, USMNT fans were worried this tournament would be a complete wash out for their side. They’ve very quickly blocked out the haters and look like a completely different set of players.

Two wins and six goals scored without conceding one is a genuinely impressive start to the campaign. Poch’s war of words with star man Christian Pulisic suddenly seems like a lifetime ago and the talking is being done on the pitch.

Malik Tilman in particular has impressed, scoring a brace in the 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago before being the main creative force in the 1-0 win over our favourite North/Central American nation, Saudi Arabia.

Experience is key

Martin Experience that is! The 26-year-old left-back is gonna have busy evening marking Tilman and likely having to keep an eye on Diego Luna at the same time. Thankfully, as his name implies, he knows what he’s doing.

He was a key member of this season’s Nancy side that earned promotion back to Ligue 2, playing 29 league games and providing three assists in the process. Yes, it’s not an elite European league but it remains a competitive one.

A speedy full-back who’s surprisingly good in the air, Experience has a 100% aerial duel win for Haiti so far in the Gold Cup. He also made three interceptions and seven blocks during his two games so far. He’ll doubtless be hoping his campaign doesn’t end here.

Where is Johnny Cardoso?

The Real Betis midfielder was a stand out for his club last season, so much so that the likes of Tottenham and Atlético Madrid have both heavily been linked with a move in the summer transfer window. So why has he only played two minutes in the Gold Cup?

Well, the most likely answer is, that Posh is limiting his minutes after a season that has seen him already play 46 games across all competitions, in which he lost a major European final against Chelsea.

At the same time, in the international games he has played, he’s hardly impressed. His 45 minutes in the 2-1 friendly defeat to Türkiye was arguably the worst of his season, failing to win a single tackle, and making the error that led to the equaliser.

As the tournament reaches its latter stages, he will likely get more chances to make amends. Don’t be surprised to see him get some minutes here so he can gain a little confidence.

Prediction

The USA are heavy favourites for this one but considering they will likely rotate a little, we think Haiti will get something even if they won’t qualify. We gonna call it as a 1-1 draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Gold Cup with FotMob this summer – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: Man City meet Al Ain in Atlanta

Manchester City continue their adventure in the money-making machine that is the new Club World Cup and a second win in two games will be the expectation, even if the lineup is shuffled around as Pep Guardiola’s team face Al Ain.

By Karl Matchett

New chances for new faces

While some matches have the feel of pre-season, this competition still feels somehow more like the end of last term than the opening of the new one, perhaps as there wasn’t exactly much of a break between the two. Despite that, a hastily fashioned transfer window has been arranged and new deals have been concluded. Man City, of course, certainly needed a refresh. It started in January, but it’s the likes of Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri who have arrived more recently and who might make City seem like more of their old selves: more technical ability and creativity from the former, more speed and a proper left-sided outlet from the latter.

Final reminder of old faces

Depending on the leagues you usually watch, some of the Asian sides appearing in the US this summer might feel a bit nostalgic, given their squad lists. There aren’t quite as many former Premier League stars in this Al Ain side, but several who have experience around Europe. Rui Patrício in goal, formerly of Wolves, is the biggest name but Fábio Cardoso was briefly at Rangers and is owned by Porto, while centre-back Ramy Rabia had a spell with Sporting CP in his younger days.

Recent form

City beat Wydad Casablanca 2-0 in their Club World Cup opener, making it three wins in a row for them after they ended the Premier League campaign with victories over Fulham and Bournemouth. Prior to that, however, they lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace and were held to a goalless draw by the league’s worst team, Southampton. Al Ain ended their own campaign in the UAE with three wins and two draws in the last five, but opened their Club World Cup with a 5-0 thumping by Juventus.

Team news

Rico Lewis is suspended after his late red card against Wydad and Mateo Kovačić is injured for Man City. Jack Grealish was left out of the squad entirely for the competition. Ai Ain have no squad concerns and have a full list to choose from.

Key player

Given Omar Marmoush started up front in the last game, a return for Erling Haaland wouldn’t be a surprise and he could look to fill his boots given a very lean spell since his return from injury: just one goal in five games. Al Ain were shaky defensively against Juve and Haaland is elite – even after not quite as incredible a season, he is still higher ranked than 96% of strikers in Europe for goals and 97% for shots. Just get him chances again and he’ll plunder several – this could be a good starting point for that.

Prediction

The Premier League side should make fairly short work of this encounter and a repeat scoreline of Juve’s game wouldn’t be a huge surprise: Man City 5-0 Al Ain.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Club World Cup with FotMob this summer — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: Real Madrid meet Pachuca in search for first win at Club World Cup

Xabi Alonso’s new look Madrid side will be looking to kickstart their campaign while Liga MX’s Pachuca need a result if they are to prolong their stay in the United States.

By Ian King

Form

Real Madrid endured a disappointing 2024/25 season by their own lofty standards, finishing as runners-up to Barcelona in LaLiga and losing the final of the Copa del Rey to the same opposition. They didn’t start this tournament particularly strongly either, with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in their opening match. Pachuca ended up in eighth place in Liga MX’s Clausura campaign, earning them a place in the play-offs. They were, however, beaten 2-1 by RB Salzburg in their opening match in this tournament.

Intercontinental rivalry

There is a bit of history here. These two clubs met each other in the 2024 Intercontinental Cup match in Qatar at the end of last year, with Madrid winning 3-0. But this was the first and only competitive meeting between these two clubs.

Key Players

Aurélien Tchouaméni could be the key player for Real Madrid. With a lot of absentees, the midfielder put in a decent shift in their opening match and is likely to start again in the centre of the park. A lot of eyes will also be on Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had a mixed debut for them in their opening match, playing 65 minutes before being withdrawn.

There’s a few familiar names in the Pachuca team for those watching in Europe. Salomón Rondón played there for West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle and Everton, as well as in Russia and Spain, and now has 118 international appearances for Venezuela. And former Chelsea, Newcastle United, and star of LaLiga Kenedy should join Rondón in the forward line.

Team News

The big question hanging over the Real Madrid team ahead of this match is whether Kylian Mbappé will be fit. Having dropped two points in their opening match, Real need a result from this one. Mbappé missed that match with illness. Gonzalo García deputised for him in that match, and will be expected to do so again should he still be absent.

Otherwise, Real have a lengthy injuries and illnesses list. Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba, Endrick and Antonio Rüdiger all have injuries or illnesses which keep them out of the team. Pachuca’s only absentee will be Andrés Micolta, who won’t be appearing in this tournament at all.

Prediction

Real Madrid were the first winners of the European Cup and the first winners of the Intercontinental Cup. They like to be early adopters, and winning this tournament may mean more to them than it does to other European entrants. Those two dropped points in their opening match mean that a win in this one will be pretty much essential if they’re to progress with confidence.

Pachuca didn’t embarrass themselves in their opening match against Salzburg, and defeat leaves them needing a result of some description from this match if they’re to proceed to the next stage of the competition.

Their form, however, hasn’t been great at home and there’s little to suggest that they’ll have enough about them to get past even a depleted Real Madrid team. It’s unlikely that this match will be as clear-cut as their previous meeting at the end of 2024, but Real Madrid’s Big Club Arrogance should be enough to get them through this. I’ll go 2-1 Madrid, and a little nervousness going into their final group match.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2025

Preview: Chelsea set for reunion with Flamengo coach Filipe Luis

Flamengo and Chelsea go head-to-head in the Club World Cup, with both sides searching for their second win in as many games in the competition.

By Matt Smith

Flamengo enjoyed a 2-0 victory against Espérance in the opening game, while Enzo Maresca’s side defeated Los Angeles FC by the same scoreline. The two sides previously met back in 1998 during an international friendly tournament, with Chelsea coming away with a 5-0 win.

Team news

Flamengo were without Nicolás de la Cruz for their opening game of the tournament, but he has been named in their squad for the competition, meaning there is a chance he could make his return.

Roméo Lavia and Reece James only completed 45 minutes each in Chelsea’s game against Los Angeles, so it will be interesting to see whether they are able to start once again. Liam Delap made his debut off the bench, setting up Enzo Fernández’s goal, so he’ll be pushing for a place in the starting XI.

Two possession-based styles go head-to-head

Maresca is known for his possession-based style at Chelsea, but Filipe Luís is looking to implement a similar system with Flamengo. In their opening game, the Brazilian side dominated proceedings with 69% of the possession.

Brazilian league leaders Flamengo play in the same way domestically, with no side in the league averaging more possession than them this season. It looks set to be an interesting battle between two similar styles on Friday night.

Chelsea searching for repeat of LA performance

Although Los Angeles showed some threat in transition against Chelsea, it was a dominant display from the Blues in their opening game of the competition. Maresca’s side created 2.24 expected goals, producing 17 shots with six of those being on target.

A win for the Blues would guarantee a place in the round of 16 if LAFC win or draw in their game against Espérance. Considering the squad Maresca has at his disposal, qualification for the next round will be a bare minimum target.

Liam Delap pushing for a start

Delap came off the bench in the game against LAFC, and he produced a performance that will have excited Chelsea fans ahead of the 2025/2026 season. The England youth international was a constant threat running in behind, while he was constantly battling with defenders and getting into the box.

Delap provided an assist for Enzo and created two chances, despite being on the pitch for just over 25 minutes. Nicolas Jackson, who Delap replaced in the second half, also created a goal, so it will be interesting to see how Maresca decides to line up in the second game. The Chelsea boss has even hinted that he could try fit the pair into the same starting XI.

Prediction

Chelsea should have too many quality in this one, but Flamengo will certainly be no pushovers. We’re going for a 2-1 victory to Maresca’s side.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Club World Cup with FotMob this summer — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2025

Preview: USMNT face first serious Gold Cup test against Saudi Arabia

Group D favourites USA will face a similarly depleted Saudi Arabia side in a match where the winner can almost certainly seal progression to the knockouts.

By Neel Shelat

Pressure still on the USMNT

The USA endured their first four-match losing streak since 2007 in the lead up to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Having also suffered a surprise defeat in the CONCACAF Nations League to Panama in that run, pressure certainly was mounting on Mauricio Pochettino and his rather depleted squad going into the Gold Cup.

Their 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in their opening game might have helped ease nerves a little, but that result should count for little in the wider scheme of things. The challenge for the Argentine coach is not to thrash significantly weaker sides but to set his team up to consistently get results against opponents of a more similar stature. The upcoming match will be more meaningful in this respect, though it will not be entirely representative either.

Saudi Arabia also missing key players due to Club World Cup

While the USMNT are without their core group of players due to a myriad of reasons, Gold Cup invitees Saudi Arabia also have to make do without some stars for the tournament. Seven of their players were not available for selection due to domestic giants Al Hilal’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. The absentees include star forward Salem Al-Dawsari, scorer of the famous goal against Argentina at the last World Cup and the Green Falcons’ leading active goal-scorer, as well as key midfielder Mohamed Kanno.

Looking to make the most of the situation, head coach Hervé Renard handed out starts to four players aged 23 or younger in their tournament opener against Haiti. While Saudi Arabia came away with a win, their performance was far from convincing, so they will need to step things up if they are to really challenge the USMNT.

Saudi Arabia preparing for World Cup qualification challenge

While Saudi Arabia will have an eye on the Gold Cup title like all strong competitors, their biggest task of the year is to seal World Cup qualification. Six Asian teams booked their berths in the 2026 edition of the tournament earlier this month at the conclusion of the AFC’s third qualifying round, including Japan and Australia who finished ahead of the Green Falcons in their group. So, they will have to go again in the fourth round, which they will co-host along with Qatar.

Ticket sales remain slow

Between the volatile political situation in the United States, reports and fears of ICE agents operating around stadiums and an over-saturation of summer soccer action in the country, it should be no surprise that ticket sales for the Gold Cup have not gone well in the States. At the time of writing, at least half of the seats for this match are unsold.

Prediction

The USMNT should be considered clear favourites for this match after Saudi Arabia’s performance against Haiti, so they should aim to win by a multi-goal margin.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Gold Cup with FotMob this summer – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.