The quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup get underway on Friday with Palmeiras taking on Premier League club Chelsea in the high-stakes match at the Lincoln Financial Field.
Palmeiras are coming into this match after picking up an impressive 1-0 victory over their fellow domestic club Botafogo in the round of 16. The Brazilian club Palmeiras displayed tremendous efforts of resilience and spirit in the league campaign, finishing unbeaten at the top of Group A. They defeated Al Ahly and drew against FC Porto and Inter Miami.
Chelsea, meanwhile, stunned with a 4-1 victory against the Portuguese club Benfica in a chaotic round of 16 match. Enzo Maresca’s side, even after holding a 1-0 lead in the first half, faced a two-hour-long weather delay because of a thunderstorm threat. The Blues will be heading into the quarterfinals as one of the clear favorites to win the title after Manchester City and Inter Milan’s dramatic exit from the tournament.
This will not be the first occasion when these two teams will be facing off; they once met three years back in the Club World Cup 2022 Final, where the London-based club defeated Palmeiras 2-1.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Where to watch Palmeiras vs. Chelsea: Live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this FIFA Club World Cup match in the U.S.:
TV channel: TruTV
Live stream: DAZN
This game is available for live TV broadcast in English language in the US on TruTV.
For fans who prefer to stream on the go, the tournament will also be shown live on DAZN.
All of the 63 matches throughout the tournament will be on DAZN and new users can sign up to watch every game for FREE.
Palmeiras vs. Chelsea start time
- Date: Friday, July 4
- Time: 9:00 p.m. ET | 6:00 p.m. PT
Palmeiras and Chelsea will kick off at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday, July 4, from the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Palmeiras vs. Chelsea predicted lineups, team news
Palmeiras will be without captain Gustavo Gomez, who was sent off late in the win over Botafogo for a second yellow card and suspended for this match. Replacing him is likely to be either Bruno Fuchs or Micael, both of whom have seen the field at this Club World Cup previously.
One player who will be taking the field is young winger Estevao, who signed for Chelsea over a year ago but has yet to officially make the move. He couldn’t legally join the Premier League club until turning 18, which he did back in April. According to the terms of their deal, he will join Chelsea as soon as Palmeiras are eliminated from the Club World Cup, meaning his last game for the Brazilian side could be this very match against his future employers.
Anibal Moreno suffered a thigh injury in their 2-0 win over Al Ahly and has not returned, with Emiliano Martinez and Lucas Evangelista sharing the deep midfield role in his absence. Winger Bruno Rodrigues has a knee problem and has not appeared all season, while 19-year-old midfielder Figueiredo is out for the year with a torn ACL.
Palmeiras predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Weverton (GK) — Glay, Gomez, Murilo, Piquerez — Rios, Veiga, Lucas — Estevao, Lopez, Torres.
Injured: Moreno (thigh, doubt), Rodrigues (knee), Figueiredo (ACL)
Suspended: Gomez (red card)
Nicolas Jackson will return from his two-match red card suspension, and it’s likely he will take over for Liam Delap up front despite the new signing’s positive play through Jackson’s absence. Additionally, new signing Joao Pedro was registered in time to possibly make his debut for the club here and has linked up with the squad to potentially play a part.
However, Enzo Maresca has some other absences to contend with. Moises Caicedo will be suspended for yellow card accumulation, leaving a hole in midfield. One option to fill the void is moving Reece James over from right-back to play in midfield, or Enzo Fernandez could be dropped deeper while Cole Palmer returns to his more central position. Given Palmer’s effective link-up with Marc Cucurella down the left, the former option is the more likely.
Noni Madueke did not see the field against Benfica, and while rumours swirl of a potential summer transfer, he’s unlikely to be risked unless Chelsea become desperate for attacking injection off the bench.
The only Chelsea absences are Omari Kellyman and Wesley Fofana who not with the group as they recover from long-term injuries. James, Palmer, Delap, Cucurella, and Pedro Neto would all be suspended for the semifinals should they pick up a booking here and Chelsea go through.
Chelsea predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — Gusto, Colwill, Badiashile, Cucurella — Lavia, James — Neto, E. Fernandez, Palmer — Jackson.
Injured: W. Fofana (muscle), Kellyman (hamstring)
Suspended: Caicedo (yellow card)
FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal fixtures schedule this week
All times ET
Friday, July 4
- Fluminense vs. Al-Hilal (3:00 p.m.)
- Palmeiras vs. Chelsea (9:00 p.m.)
Saturday, July 5
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Bayern Munich (12:00 p.m.)
- Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund (4:00 p.m.)
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