This Group D encounter of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played between MLS club Los Angeles FC and three-time Copa Libertadores winners CR Flamengo on June 25 at the Camping World Stadium, Orlando.
Here’s our preview and prediction for the game.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 | Group D: Los Angeles FC vs CR Flamengo | 06:30 IST, June 25
Brazilian giants Flamengo and MLS side Los Angeles FC will round off their Club World Cup group-stage campaigns in Orlando with Flamengo sitting on six points from their first two games – having already secured a spot in the knockout round of the competition – while LAFC have been eliminated with two defeats in their two matches.
The Brazilians have been very impressive in their opening two matches at the Club World Cup, recording a 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunisie in their first fixture before beating 10-man Chelsea 3-1 last time out – despite falling 1-0 behind against the Blues.
As a result, there is nothing much at play here, as the Rubro Negro have already secured their place as Group D winners due to a superior head-to-head record, while LAFC have been knocked out due to their two defeats from two matches.
The 2022 Copa Libertadores champions, playing in their third CWC competition – having previously competed in 2019 and 2022 – are emerging as dark horses due to the quality of their displays in their opening two fixtures at the competition, however, European powerhouses such as Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid still remain favourites for the trophy.
It was always going to be difficult for the MLS outfit to make a serious impression at the competition, but after opening their group-stage campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on June 16, the Black and Gold went on to lose their second group encounter 1-0 to Esperance de Tunisie, which ultimately sealed their fate in this competition.
However, there are plenty of encouragement to take from their two matches so far, though, as the club is less than 11 years old, and there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful of a bright future. Moreover, this being their first time in the competition, they have nothing but pride to play for in their final match of this year’s competition.
With Flamengo set to rest a number of key players, LAFC will go strong in their final match of the competition, giving them the best chance to put their first points on the board. However, by resting some of their key players, the Brazilian side will have the advantage of having fresh players for their round of 16 clash, most likely against Benfica.
Looking ahead to this fixture, LAFC will look to take advantage of the fact that Flamengo will make a number of changes. However, LAFC have looked fragile defensively and lacked competitiveness, despite showing some promising signs in flashes. Thus, we are finding it very difficult to back anything other than a routine success for the Brazilian team.
Score Prediction: Los Angeles FC 0-2 CR Flamengo
Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando
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