Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the FIFA Club World Cup match.
Ahead of the final matchday in Group D, there's little to separate Espérance Tunis and Chelsea — the Premier League side are ahead by a single goal. This fixture will determine who goes straight into the last 16.
Espérance Tunis
Espérance kept their play-off hopes alive with a surprise 1:0 win over Los Angeles FC, despite being considered underdogs going into the match. Ten shots — five on target — proved enough to make the breakthrough, with Youcef Belaïli scoring the winner in the 70th minute. However, the Tunisians were comfortably beaten by Flamengo (0:2) in their opener.
Chelsea
Chelsea also struggled against the Brazilians, suffering a 1:3 defeat after taking an early lead through Pedro Neto. A red card to Nicolas Jackson in the 68th minute didn’t help matters — the forward once again let his team down, this time with a reckless challenge. The team had already conceded twice by that point, and found it hard to mount a comeback. Enzo Maresca will have to do without Jackson here, but against a side like Espérance, it’s a loss the squad can likely absorb.
Espérance Tunis vs Chelsea Prediction
Chelsea only need a draw to qualify, which suggests they won't be overly aggressive. Instead, they’ll aim to control possession and force the Tunisian side to take risks. Against Los Angeles FC, they enjoyed 65% possession and still only managed two goals from 17 attempts. Expect a cautious affair with a measured tempo and limited scoring chances.
