Whoever comes out on top will go on to face a Brazilian team either Palmeiras or Botafogo in the quarter-finals on July 5.
Benfica are making their debut at the Club World Cup and have made quite the impression. They topped Group C with seven points from three games, starting with a 2-2 comeback draw against Boca Juniors before cruising to wins over Auckland City and Bayern Munich.
Just four days after thrashing Auckland 6-0 in Orlando, they edged Bayern 1-0 in Charlotte on Tuesday, thanks to a 13th-minute goal from Andreas Schjelderup and a heroic performance in goal by Anatoliy Trubin, especially under the blistering 37°C heat.
Despite finishing second in the Portuguese league last season, Benfica surprised many by beating Bayern to first place in their group. Head coach Bruno Lage believes his team has been underestimated and called on fans to “believe more in the work we are doing.”
If Benfica had come second, they would’ve faced Flamengo next. Instead, their challenge is Chelsea—a team they've never beaten in three previous meetings. Most notably, they lost to the Blues in the dramatic 2013 Europa League final, conceding in the 90th minute to lose 2-1. In fact, Benfica have a rough record against English clubs overall: just 11 wins in 40 matches, with 21 losses.
Chelsea, meanwhile, bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Flamengo by making eight changes for their final group game, where they comfortably beat Esperance Tunis 3-0 in Philadelphia. Tosin Adarabioyo opened the scoring, new signing Liam Delap grabbed his first goal just before halftime, and Tyrique George added a late third.
Finishing second in Group D means Chelsea avoid potential matchups with Bayern, PSG, and possibly Real Madrid—at least for now. But manager Enzo Maresca is taking nothing for granted, calling Benfica “a top club, with a top manager and top players,” and warning that Saturday’s game will be “tough.”
Chelsea have already earned around £28 million from this campaign—nearly covering the £30 million they spent on Delap—and could take home close to £100 million if they win the tournament for the first time since 2021.
Given their strong track record against Portuguese sides 11 wins from 15 competitive games Chelsea will be confident heading into the weekend. But Benfica are riding high and hungry to make history.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Benfca are still without long-term injured duo Alexander Bah and Manu Silva. Midfielder Florentino Luis, who hurt his shoulder in the opening match, has missed the last two games and is expected to stay on the sidelines.
On the bright side, Andrea Belotti is back from suspension and will be pushing to reclaim a spot in the starting eleven. He’s competing with Vangelis Pavlidis, who’s been in top form and netted his 30th goal of the season during the win over Auckland.
At 37, Ángel Di María continues to impress. He’s scored in all three Club World Cup matches so far, all from the penalty spot, and will likely link up with Andreas Schjelderup in the attack. Coach Bruno Lage has a decision to make in midfield—whether to bring back Orkun Kökçü or stick with Renato Sanches alongside Leandro Barreiro.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have welcomed Wesley Fofana into the first-team camp in the U.S., but he’s still unavailable as he recovers from a thigh injury.
Nicolas Jackson remains suspended and will miss this match as well, so Liam Delap is expected to keep his place up front. Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto are both in contention to return to the starting lineup, possibly replacing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Christopher Nkunku.
Enzo Fernández looks set to start in midfield against his old club, partnering with Moisés Caicedo. At the back, Reece James, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella could all return to join Tosin Adarabioyo in a four-man defense in front of goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Benfica possible starting lineup:
Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Sanches; Di Maria, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Delap
EXPERT PREDICTION
Benfica 1-0 Chelsea
