Club World Cup
2025-07-08 - Fluminense vs Chelsea
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: FIFA Club World Cup Semi Final
Tuesday 8th July 2025 - Kick Off 3pm (8pm British Time)
This game is live on TV
Fluminense
There was a real feeling earlier in the Club World Cup that the Brazilian clubs were benefiting from having the competition played at the end of the European season, and pretty early on into their own domestic campaigns. Some impressive performances have been produced, but at the business end of the new format, there is only one Brazilian club left standing.
At the outset of the tournament, not many would have predicted Fluminense to be that club with the consensus being that this was the weakest of the four representatives playing in the United States. However, the draw had perhaps favoured Fluminense having come through a Group that contained Borussia Dortmund, Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD. Wins over Inter Milan and Al-Hilal in the Knock Out Rounds look stronger, but another step up is going to be needed if Fluminense are to play in the Club World Cup Final.
Fluminense have pushed their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competition and they have won 8 of those fixtures following back to back defeats. Much of their successes in this tournament have been built by being solid at the back and Fluminense have only conceded three goals in the 5 matches played in the United States with two of those coming in a single fixture.
Juan Freytes and Martinelli are both out serving suspensions.
Chelsea
This may not have been a tournament high on the list of priorities for Enzo Maresca, but he is the manager of Chelsea and the owners would have expected him to take things seriously. After an up and down Group Stage, Chelsea have looked pretty good once moving into the Knock Out Rounds and the young players have to deal with being strong favourites to reach the Final.
A defeat to Flamengo meant finishing behind the Brazilian club in the Group Stage, but the long-term benefit of that is that Chelsea have landed in the weaker half of the Knock Out Bracket. Wins over Benfica, after Extra Time, and Palmeiras has given Chelsea momentum.
Chelsea's defeat to Flamengo is the only one suffered in the last 8 games in all competitions and they have won 6 of those fixtures in normal time. Scoring enough goals has been something of a criticism of this Chelsea team and so meant shelling out for Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, but they have scored in all of the matches played at the Club World Cup and scored at least twice in 3 of the 5 fixtures in regulation time.
Levi Colwell and Liam Delap will miss out serving suspensions.
Head to Head
This is the first time Fluminense and Chelsea are facing off in a competitive fixture.
Prediction
Both teams have reached the Club World Cup Semi Final and so confidence is not expected to be an issue.
It also helps that Fluminense have played a couple of clubs from the UEFA Confederation and avoided defeat, and also kept clean sheets in both against Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, while Chelsea have faced two of the four Brazilian clubs already.
Unlike Fluminense, the results have been more mixed with a Group Stage defeat to Flamengo followed by a Quarter Final win over Palmeiras, but that knowledge of facing Brazilian clubs can really help The Blues.
Fluminense have been pretty solid at the back, but Chelsea have shown they can find a way to goal and that may just give the English club the edge.
Nothing will come easy against a Fluminense team that have overachieved in the United States, but a couple of suspensions may just weaken the underdog.
With the strength in depth that Chelsea have shown in the tournament, the expectation is that they can back up the win over Palmeiras by beating another Brazilian club to take the first place in the Final.
The Pick :
Fluminense 0-1 Chelsea
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Chelsea to Win at 1.70 with BetFred
