FIFA Club World Cup 2025 | Group D: Los Angeles FC vs ES Tunis | Preview and Prediction

This Group D fixture at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will see Los Angeles FC face Tunisian outfit ES Tunis as both sides look to get their campaign back on track following opening-game defeats.

Here are our preview and prediction for this game.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 | Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Espérance Sportive de Tunis | 03:30 IST, June 21

LAFC suffered a flattening 2–0 loss to English heavyweights Chelsea in the last game, with the highlight of their outing being an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction that saw Olivier Giroud wait on the sidelines for his shirt for an extended period, much to the chagrin of their opponents. As for their performance, it was nothing to write home about as they simply proved slower than the Blues in every department.

Giroud’s sub-par outing would also be cause for concern. The 38-year-old striker just could not get going in his substitute appearance against his former club, unable to register a single shot in his time and managing just eight touches of the ball. Known for his exploits in front of goal, France’s all-time top scorer has failed to set the stage alight during his time in LA, managing a paltry return of five goals and two assists in 34 appearances. The Black and Gold Falcons will want their veteran Frenchman to channel his big-match mentality in this must-win game, as a loss here will surely end their CWC campaign.

As far as their opponents are concerned, ES Tunis also suffered a 2–0 loss to Brazilian side Flamengo in what was a rather physical encounter. It was a game that was marked by the sheer number of fouls from both sides; 39 of them were committed in total, of which EST had 19.

However, EST barely looked capable of scoring against Flamengo and didn’t have much of the ball, partly because Flamengo like to keep the ball, and, when they did get it, the reigning Tunisian top-flight champions just gave it away, which was reflected in their under-par passing accuracy of 79%.

ES Tunis will have to find ways to score, especially since the LAFC defence can be got at, as Chelsea so ruthlessly showed. They will also have to be more careful in possession, as holding the ball will be key for anything positive to happen in attack.

The stakes are high for both sides, as a defeat will all but knock the losing side out. For us, LAFC look the likelier of the sides to get a result out of this game.

Score Prediction: Los Angeles FC 2–0 ES Tunis
Venue: GEODIS Park, Nashville, Tennessee