The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup between Flamengo (Brazil) and Esperance (Tunisia) will take place on June 17 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, USA. Flamengo vs. Esperance: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Flamengo
The Brazilian team qualified for the Club World Cup as the winner of the 2022 Copa Libertadores. This marks their third participation in the tournament. In 2019, Flamengo reached the final but lost to Liverpool, and three years later, they secured third place in the Club World Cup. Notably, this season, Felipe Luis's side won the Brazilian Super Cup and are currently leading Serie A confidently.
One standout player in the squad is Giorgian de Arrascaeta. The midfielder is leading the scoring charts in the current Serie A with 9 goals and 4 assists after 11 rounds. Additionally, the team has seen the arrival of midfielder Jorginho from Arsenal and the return of midfielder Carlos Alcaraz from Everton.
- The Brazilians have not lost in regular time in 6 of their last 7 Copa Libertadores games (3 wins and 3 draws).
- At least one team failed to score in 11 of Flamengo's last 13 matches in this tournament.
- No more than two goals were scored in regular time in 9 of the club's last 10 Copa Libertadores matches.
Predicted lineup for Flamengo (4-3-3)
Agustín Rossi – Alex Sandro, Danilo, Leo Ortiz, Guillermo Varela – Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Gerson Santos, Everton Araujo – Everton, Bruno Henrique, Luis Araujo.
Esperance
The Tunisian side qualified for the Club World Cup as the highest-ranked CAF team available for the tournament over the last four years. This marks their fourth appearance in the Club World Cup. Esperance's best result in this tournament is fifth place, achieved in 2018 and 2019. In May, the club won the Tunisian championship for the eighth time in the last nine years.
In mid-March, Maher Kanzari took over as head coach. Under his leadership, the team played 12 matches in the CAF Champions League, the Tunisian league, and the Tunisian Cup, suffering only one defeat (9 wins and 2 draws).
- The club has secured only one win in regular time in six Club World Cup matches (1 draw and 4 losses).
- At least two goals were scored in 5 of Esperance's last 6 matches in this tournament.
- At least one team failed to score in regular time in 7 of the last 9 CAF Champions League matches for the Tunisians.
Predicted lineup for Esperance (3-4-3)
Amalallah Memmiche – Mohamed Ben Hamida, Raed Boushniba, Mohamed Derbali – Onuchu Ogbelle, Khalil Genichi, Hamza Jelassi, Elias Mokwana – Achref Jabri, Chihab Jebali, Abderrahman Konate.
Referee
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 26;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 29%.
Flamengo vs. Esperance: Match Prediction
Esperance has participated in the Club World Cup three times but has never advanced past the quarter-finals, despite these tournaments having only seven participants. They faced teams from the Asian, African, and North American regions. Now, they are up against a South American opponent – the Brazilian club Flamengo, which is much stronger than Esperance's previous opponents in this tournament.
Bookmakers offer very low odds on a Brazilian victory for a reason. Flamengo is significantly stronger in terms of player selection, with 12 club players representing their national teams – Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, and Italy. Additionally, the team is in excellent form, having suffered only one defeat in 11 Serie A rounds (7 wins and 3 draws), with a goal difference of 24:4 in these matches.
I predict that the Brazilians will secure a confident victory while keeping a clean sheet. In their last six matches in Serie A and the Copa Libertadores, the club has achieved five wins and one draw, without conceding a single goal. My prediction: Flamengo to win with a clean sheet
