Benfica and Chelsea will face each other in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup after both teams won their third group stage matches and now look to move a step closer to winning the trophy.
Benfica recently beat Bayern Munich 1-0, a big result that also saw them finish first in Group C. Before that, they thrashed Auckland City, and with those two wins by a combined score of 7-0, they seem to have turned a corner after going four matches without a win before the tournament.
Chelsea also picked up two wins in the group, but after a loss to Flamengo and Benfica’s draw, the Blues had to settle for second place in Group D. That defeat was their only loss in their last six matches, having won the other five. Manager Enzo Maresca rotated his squad heavily in the win over Espérance, making eight changes, which might give his side a bit more energy going into this match.
The two clubs have met three times before, with Chelsea winning all of them by a one-goal margin. One of those victories came in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final.
Looking at recent stats, Benfica have scored just before half-time in two of their three Club World Cup games. They’ve also seen five penalties awarded in their last five matches. Chelsea, meanwhile, have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six wins and have scored before half-time in all of their CWC matches.
Key players to keep an eye on include Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, who has been impressive by saving all six shots on target he’s faced recently.
On the Chelsea side, Liam Delap stood out in the last match by scoring his first goal for the club. As for team news, Benfica have no new injuries, while Chelsea will be without Nicolas Jackson, who is serving an extended ban after a red card in the second group game.
With both teams in good form and having kept two clean sheets each in the group stage, this looks set to be a close match. A low-scoring game is likely, so betting on under 2.5 goals could be a smart choice.
