FIFA Club World Cup: Chelsea is preparing for Resolute Fluminense side in semi -final collision

Chelsea will try to reach a second big final in three months when it is to Fluminense in the FIFA Club World Cup -and and a half final on Tuesday in East Rutherford, NJ

On May 28, the blues gathered for a 4-1 win over Real Betis in the UEFA Europa Conference League final.

In its own country it also ensured a fourth place Premier League finish and a return to the UEFA Champions League next year under first-year manager Enzo Maresca.

After everything it looked like one of the fresher European sides in this tournament while it reached the semi -final. Perhaps that reflects the benefits of having a youthful core, without a single player in the tournament team above the age of 27.

«You can have an advantage or disadvantage – it depends a bit,» said Maresca, as reported by Football London. «We have a season together as the youngest in the Premier League, and we are able to win games. Tomorrow it will be the same. We will be the first or second youngest in the competition, and we will get the oldest.»

Read also: Ladies Euro 2025 – Spain reaches knockouts, Portugal keeps a campaign alive after drawing versus Italy

While Chelsea will be preferred, Brazilian teams have been the story of this tournament and all four of their participants sent to the knockout phase and two to the quarterfinals.

Fluminense will be the third team with which the blues have had to deal with. In the quarterfinals, Chelsea defeated Palmeiras 2-1 on a first half goal of Cole Palmer-being a non-penalty goal since a 2-2 Premier League-equal game with Bournemouth on January 14 and a late own goal. Before that it suffered a 3-1 defeat against Flamengo in the group stage.

For comparison: Fluminense comes in better form than those earlier Brazilian enemies, unbeaten in all competitions. While Hercules leads the club with two tournament goals, the power of head coach Renato Gaucho’s side is a defense that only admitted five times during that unbeaten run, anchored by the 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio.

«With all due respect for Chelsea, we don’t want to stop here,» Gaucho told Fifa.com. «We are going to do everything we can do psychologically, physically, technically, tactically. We have to put everything in here. Many people thought we couldn’t do it, but we are in the semi -final.»

Fluminense previously lost 4-0 to Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 final, the last one played in his annual, smaller single-elimination classification. Chelsea won the competition in 2021, although there are currently very few transfers from that team.

Chelsea will miss striker Liam Delap and defender Levi Colwill to suspensions of yellow card, while Fluminense defender Juan Freytes and midfielder Martinelli also serve a match bans.