Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the FIFA Club World Cup match.
Benfica progressed confidently through the group stage, remaining unbeaten throughout. Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered a defeat to Flamengo but impressed in their other group fixtures. This encounter promises to be tightly contested, with both sides possessing plenty of attacking intent.
Benfica
After a 2:2 draw against Boca Juniors, Benfica went on to dismantle Auckland City FC (6:0) before securing a surprise 1:0 win over Bayern Munich, finishing top of their group. That said, while the Portuguese side showed resilience, they were far from dominant in the match against Bayern Munich, who squandered multiple clear chances, including one-on-one opportunities involving Leroy Sané. Nonetheless, this does not take away from the attacking consistency of the squad. They have scored in each of their last 18 matches, with veteran forward Ángel Di María already finding the net three times in this Club World Cup campaign.
Chelsea
Chelsea were defeated 3:1 by Flamengo, but bounced back with emphatic victories over Los Angeles FC and Espérance Sportive de Tunis. In their final group outing, the team opted for squad rotation and gave several key players a rest, allowing them to approach the clash with Benfica at full strength. The squad has won 10 of their last 12 matches, although they have conceded in half of those. Even so, their attacking depth has been evident, averaging two goals per match over that run.
Benfica vs Chelsea Prediction
Chelsea are clinical in front of goal and rarely waste opportunities. Benfica also carry a genuine attacking threat and should carve out scoring chances of their own. A goal exchange seems very much on the cards in this fixture.
