At 10:00 pm today, the curtain will fall on the first edition of the Club World Cup in its new format, as French giants Paris Saint-Germain, European champions, clash with English giants Chelsea, in the final of the tournament at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, in the United States of America, which hosted the event for a month.
The two teams have already met eight times, with Chelsea winning twice compared to PSG’s three victories, and the two teams drew three times, and during those encounters, the French team scored ten goals compared to 11 for their English opponents.
After beating two Brazilian teams to reach the final, and after PSG eliminated a pair of soccer giants, the two teams are preparing for a historic meeting in New Jersey. Chelsea’s performance so far this summer has been fruitful, adding another European title to their trophy cabinet in the UEFA Europa League and securing qualification for next year’s Champions League before heading to the U.S. for the World Cup.
The Londoners have won five of their six matches on their way to the World Cup final, most recently in the semi-final against Fluminense with a 2-0 win.
Newcomer João Pedro proved that he could be the perfect choice for Italian coach Inzumaresca’s attacking line, scoring a goal in each half against his boyhood club to ensure his side’s qualification for the final leg of the World Cup.
Before beating Fluminense, Chelsea beat Palmeiras in the round of eight and Benfica in the round of sixteen. The win over Benfica came despite a lengthy stoppage due to bad weather and extra time, but Chelsea’s journey has been fairly smooth so far.
Despite finishing only second in Group D after a shocking 1/3 loss to Flamengo, Chelsea thankfully avoided facing many strong teams on the other side of the draw.
Having won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021, following their Champions League crown, Chelsea can now end a somewhat mixed year with a memorable trophy double.
Much has changed since Maresca’s side’s mid-season stalemate. The UEFA Europa League champions are just one win away from further glory, but first they must beat Europe’s best team to claim their second FIFA Club World Cup title.
Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, has been busy this year achieving new milestones, most notably winning the Champions League for the first time in its history, so winning the Club World Cup would complete its historic campaign with great success.
Since stumbling against Botafogo in the group stage, PSG have been perfect on their way to the final, culminating in back-to-back victories over German giants Bayern Munich and Spanish giants Real Madrid.
After an easy win over Inter Milan in the round of 16, Luis Enrique’s men produced a thrilling 2-0 win over the Bavarian club, before an emphatic 4-0 win over Real Madrid, the record Champions League champions with 15 titles, in the golden quarterfinals.
Led by their inspirational coach, Enrique, who won the FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona in 2015, PSG won their fourth consecutive win without conceding a goal, and the team has received tremendous praise for their attacking energy and hard work.
However, there are 90 minutes, or possibly more, if the match ends in a goalless draw, separating PSG from a first-ever World Cup title and a historic quadruple. While Chelsea received a morale boost ahead of the final, with Moses Caicedo recovering from an ankle injury and joining training, Maresca could be missing other influential players, with Dario Esoko and Romeo Lavea both suffering from muscle issues, Benoit Badicelli’s participation is doubtful, Nuno Madueke is unlikely to feature as he approaches a move to Arsenal and new signings Jamie Benoit and Estevao remain ineligible. However, Maresca can now rely on Levi Colwell and Liam Delap, both of whom were suspended for the semi-final, with Delap’s return meaning more competition for Joao Pedro, who is the favorite to start in attack after scoring two goals on his debut. Luis Enrique will be without defensive duo Willian Pacheco and Lucas Hernandez, who are both suspended after being sent off in the quarterfinals.
Lucas Peraldo is expected to replace Bachu once again alongside veteran captain Marquinhos, and the starting lineup at the MetLife Stadium may not see any changes.
