With the conclusion of the group stage of the Club World Cup, the teams finishing in the top two places from each group have progressed to the Round of 16.
The first-placed team from Group C, SL Benfica, is drawn to play the second-placed team from Group D, Chelsea, in the Round of 16, to be played on 29th June at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Here’s our preview and prediction for the Round of 16 match between Benfica and Chelsea at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025:
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 | Round of 16: SL Benfica vs Chelsea FC | 01:30 IST, June 29
Portuguese club Benfica topped Group C with two wins and a draw to qualify for the Round of 16. Chelsea, on the other hand, finished second in Group D behind Flamengo, with two wins and a loss to make the knockout round.
While the Eagles narrowly beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in their last group encounter to secure top spot in Group C, the Blues bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Flamengo and cruised to a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in their final group game to ensure qualification with a second-place finish.
In a group where they were third favourites to qualify, behind Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors, Benfica surprised everyone by finishing top of the group. Chelsea, meanwhile, were expected to top their group, but a shock upset against Flamengo saw them end up in second place.
Both European teams are now looking forward to reaching the final eight and would face either SE Palmeiras or Botafogo in the quarter-finals.
If we look at the head-to-head record between the two teams, they have met three times previously, with Chelsea winning on all three occasions. The most recent encounter was the 2013 Europa League Final, which Chelsea narrowly won 2-1 to lift the trophy. Though it’s been more than a decade since then, Benfica will be keen to avenge that Europa League final loss by knocking Chelsea out of the Club World Cup.
Chelsea’s squad is slightly stronger compared to Benfica’s, though it’s also true that matches aren’t won on paper but on the pitch. Benfica seem to be in good form and boast some top-class attacking players who can trouble Chelsea’s defence. Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Aktürko?lu, Orkun Kökçü, and Renato Sanches are all capable of scoring, and their defence is solid too.
As for Chelsea, they possess a group of young, talented players who can be a nightmare for defences. Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, and Noni Madueke offer pace up front, while Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, and Romeo Lavia form a top-class midfield. Chelsea’s main concern is their defence, which can be vulnerable at times, especially with an error-prone goalkeeper.
Though this one is difficult to call, with both teams being reasonably well-matched, it could be an entertaining end-to-end encounter. My prediction for this game would be a Chelsea win.
Score Prediction: SL Benfica 2-3 Chelsea FC
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
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