Benfica vs Chelsea match review, 3:00 a.m. June 29: Win to avoid the "death" bracket

Benfica vs Chelsea form

Benfica had a tough start to their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign. Runners-up Portugal struggled to snatch a point from Boca Juniors after conceding two goals.

Despite an easy 6-0 victory over amateur opponent Auckland City (New Zealand), coach Bruno Lage and his team still have to enter the decisive battle with Bayern Munich in the final match.

But in the context that the German giants had already won tickets to the next round and only fielded many reserve players, Benfica took full advantage of the opportunity to complete the group stage with a 1-0 victory.

However, many conspiracy theorists believe that the reason Di Maria and his teammates were able to rise to the top of Group C was because Bayern wanted to avoid Chelsea - a team that surprisingly only finished second in Group D.

Despite having to face the London giants, coach Bruno Lage is still very confident in his team's ability to go far.

But in reality, Benfica's strength is still under many doubtful eyes. Defeating Bayern with many clear calculations is hardly a guarantee for the convincing performance of the team from the Iberian peninsula.

It is obvious that Benfica is not rated as highly as their opponent on the other side of the battle line. In all 4 recent encounters with Chelsea, the Portuguese club has lost. The most recent clash between the two sides in the Europa League 2012/13, Benfica lost 1-2.

After more than a decade of rematch, the difference between the two sides of the battle line probably hasn't changed much. Chelsea, despite having just had a less than satisfactory season, is still a formidable name for any opponent.

In the group stage, the team under coach Enzo Maresca unexpectedly lost 1-3 to Flamengo in the second match. But The Blues quickly bounced back with a resounding 3-0 victory in the final match against Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), thereby winning the ticket to continue with second place in the group.

But the above result is bringing satisfaction to the giants from the foggy land. Because not only did they avoid Bayern Munich, Maresca and his team are also not in the same bracket with other big names like PSG or Real Madrid.

Chelsea have already pocketed nearly £30m from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign so far. The Blues could even earn another £70m if they reach the top.

The road ahead is still full of obstacles, but at least falling into the easy bracket can help Cole Palmer and his teammates go further.

Benfica vs Chelsea squad information

Benfica: Alexander Bah, Manu Silva, Florentino Luis are not available.

Chelsea: Nicolas Jackson is still suspended. Wesley Fofana has not recovered from injury.

Expected lineup Benfica vs Chelsea

Benfica: Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Barreiro, Sanchez; Di Maria, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Delap

Prediction: 1-2

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/nhan-dinh-tran-dau-benfica-vs-chelsea-3h00-ngay-296-thang-de-tranh-nhanh-tu-than-146849.html