The Matchday 3 clash of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup between Esperance (Tunisia) and Chelsea (England) will take place on June 25 at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, USA. Esperance vs. Chelsea: prediction, betting odds, statistics.
Esperance
Maher Kanzari's side started the tournament with a 0-2 defeat against Flamengo, but managed to secure a victory over Los Angeles (1-0) in the 2nd round. As a result, the team now has a chance to advance to the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup, but they must defeat the English team in the final group stage match. Notably, this is only Esperance's second victory in regular time out of eight matches they have played in the Club World Cup (1 draw and 5 losses).
- The club has not lost in regular time in 9 of their last 12 matches in the CAF Champions League and the Club World Cup (7 wins and 2 draws).
- At least one team failed to score in regular time in 9 of Esperance's last 11 matches in the CAF Champions League and the Club World Cup.
- No more than two goals were scored in regular time in 7 of the last 9 matches of the Tunisians in the CAF Champions League and the Club World Cup.
Predicted lineup for Esperance (4-3-3)
Bechir Ben Said – Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida, Mohamed Tougai, Yassine Meriah, Mohamed Ben Ali – Onuche Ogbelu, Khalil Ghanouchi, Youssef Belaili – Abderrahmane Konate, Rodrigo Rodrigues Silva, Elias Mokwana.
Midfielder Youssef Belaili will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation.
Chelsea
The Londoners confidently began their 2025 Club World Cup campaign by defeating Los Angeles 2-0. However, in the battle for group leadership, the English side faltered, losing 1-3 to Flamengo. Additionally, the team lost their central forward Nicolas Jackson due to a red card. This defeat marks Chelsea's second loss in regular time out of six matches in this tournament (all other games were victories). Enzo Maresca's side cannot finish in 1st place but will retain second place in the group if they do not lose in the final round.
- A maximum of three goals were scored in regular time in 11 of Chelsea's last 12 matches in the UEFA Champions League and the Club World Cup.
- At least one team did not score in regular time in 5 of Chelsea's previous 6 matches in these tournaments.
- The English side's uncompromising streak in regular time in the UEFA Champions League and the Club World Cup stands at 10 matches (6 wins and 4 losses).
Predicted lineup for Chelsea (4-2-1-3)
Robert Sanchez – Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, Marc Cucurella – Reece James, Moises Caicedo – Enzo Fernandez – Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Liam Delap.
Forward Nicolas Jackson will miss the next two matches due to suspension.
Referee
Yahya Falcon (Algeria)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2025);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 29;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.1;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 14%.
Match Prediction: Esperance vs. Chelsea
We are set for a crucial encounter in Group D, where the second ticket to the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup will be decided. The English side are the favorites, but I believe the North African team can avoid defeat, or if they do lose, it will be by a narrow margin, given that a playoff spot is at stake. I'm confident that the Tunisians will give it their all to achieve a result. Meanwhile, the English side will not attack recklessly as they could be caught on the counter, making it difficult to break down Esperance's defense, which has conceded only two goals in the tournament's two games.
The Londoners have played six matches in the Club World Cup in their history but have only won by a margin of two or more goals twice. Additionally, in their last eight matches in the UEFA Champions League and the Club World Cup, the English side has only won by more than one goal twice. Esperance is very strong defensively and rarely loses by such a margin at the official level – in their last 22 matches in the CAF Champions League and the Club World Cup, they have only one loss by two or more goals. Furthermore, the North Africans have played eight matches in this tournament and have suffered only two defeats by more than one goal.
My prediction – Esperance with a handicap (+1.5)
