Fluminense vs Chelsea Preview: Team News, line-ups & prediction | OneFootball

A place in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final is on the line as surprise package Fluminense take on Premier League giants Chelsea in the first semi-final on Tuesday.

MetLife Stadium sets the stage for this exciting last-four tie as the Brazilians seek another huge scalp in East Rutherford after defying the odds in the first two knockout rounds.

Fresh off hoisting the Europa Conference League title, Enzo Maresca’s men will be out to secure another showpiece appearance and potentially add to their trophy cabinet.

Despite being heavily fancied to reach the final, Chelsea would be naive to take Fluminense for granted after overcoming their domestic rivals Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.

Giant killers

Fluminense commenced their North American journey with a scoreless draw against Bundesliga powerhouse Borussia Dortmund before fighting back to beat Ulsan Hyundai 4-2.

Another uneventful 0-0 stalemate against Mamelodi Sundowns was barely enough to seal their knockout progression, rendering them massive outsiders against Inter Milan.

However, Flu stunned the Serie A runners-up in the round of 16 as goals on either side of half-time clinched a superb 2-0 victory, setting up an exciting quarter-final showdown against Al-Hilal.

Unfazed by the Saudi Pro League outfit’s impressive triumph over Manchester City, Fluminense pulled off another outstanding 2-1 win to extend their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 11 matches.

The versatility of this team has stood out, with their eight tournament goals coming from seven different scorers, testifying to their collective strength and attacking unpredictability.

They’ve also earned a reputation as an ‘ill-disciplined’ team. Gaucho’s men have collected 11 yellow cards across their last three Club World Cup outings.

Drama kings

Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign started with a comfortable 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC, suggesting Group D could be plain sailing for the Europa Conference League winners.

However, the second game was a sobering experience for the Stamford Bridge club as Flamengo thrashed them 3-1 in Philadelphia.

Maresca’s side bounced back with a thumping 3-0 win over minnows Esperance Tunis to lock down a second-place finish and an all-European last-16 tie against Benfica.

Despite conceding a last-gasp penalty en route to a 1-1 draw in regulation, the Blues hammered the Primeira Liga runners-up 4-1 in extra time to advance to the quarter-final.

Facing Palmeiras should’ve been a more relaxed task for the Londoners, yet little did anyone know they would need Weverton’s 83rd-minute own goal to claim a 2-1 win.

That victory helped Chelsea improve their overall Club World Cup record against Brazilian opposition, having previously lost the 2012 final to Corinthians and suffered a group-stage setback against Flamengo.

Team News

Former Chelsea star Thiago Silva will captain suspension-plagued Fluminense at MetLife Stadium.

Gaucho will be without Matheus Martinelli and Juan Freytes as they’ve accumulated yellow cards.

Isaque Silva and Otavio are ruled out with injuries.

Chelsea cannot call upon Levi Colwill and Liam Delap due to suspension.

Wesley Fofana is the only remaining notable injury, meaning Trevoh Chalobah could fill the void at the back.

After breaking an eight-game scoring drought for club and country, Cole Palmer will be eager to re-establish himself as Chelsea’s go-to attacking outlet.

Fluminense vs Chelsea potential starting line-ups

Fluminense (3-5-2): Fabio; Ignacio, Silva, Fuentes; Xavier, Hercules, Bernal, Nonato, Rene; Arias, Cano.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Nkunku; Pedro.

Prediction

Fluminense’s grit and experience have taken them this far in the competition, but this should be a step too far for Gaucho’s side.

Chelsea cannot hope for a routine win, but they should have what it takes to reach the final.

Chelsea to win.