We are now down to the last four of the FIFA Club World Cup. Fluminense face Chelsea in one semi-final, whilst Paris Saint-Germain play Real Madrid in the other.
Chelsea have been on a very favorable side of the draw
Chelsea has been in a transition period since Todd Boehly acquired the club in 2022. They qualified for the Club World Cup by winning the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel in the year before Boehly arrived.
The Blues are finally starting to look like the force they once were. Enzo Maresca guided them to a Champions League qualifying place last season in the Premier League before winning the Europa Conference League.
Maresca's side is now in a very good position to make it into the Club World Cup final. They have not had to face a European team since the round of 16, where they defeated Benfica convincingly. They beat Palmeiras in the quarter-finals and now have to get past another Brazilian team to get to the final.
Chelsea will have a reunion with former player Thiago Silva
When Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021, Thiago Silva was one of their key defenders. The Brazilian is still playing at the age of 40 for Fluminense. Silva is the Brazilian side's captain and has played in all bar one of their Club World Cup games this summer.
Silva has expressed that he was rooting for Chelsea after Fluminense's win over Al-Hilal and now will be looking forward to a reunion with his former club. The center-back is still very popular amongst Chelsea supporters, so it is sure to be a special occasion for him.
Team news and predicted lineups
Chelsea have Liam Delap and Levi Colwill suspended, so João Pedro and Tosin Adarabioyo will likely come into the side.
Chelsea predicted lineup: Sánchez, Gusto, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernández, Palmer, Neto, Pedro, Madueke
Fluminense will be without Juan Freytes and Martinelli due to suspensions. Ignácio and Hércules will likely replace the pair.
Fluminense predicted lineup: Fábio, Xavier, Santos, Silva, Ignácio, Fuentes, Bernal, Hércules, Nonato, Arias, Cano
Historical context and prediction
Chelsea has played Brazilian opposition four times in competitive games in their history. They have beaten Palmeiras on two occasions. This was at this summer's tournament and the Club World Cup final back in 2022. However, they lost to Corinthians in the 2012 Club World Cup final and were defeated by Flamengo earlier in the group stage of this year's competition.
Fluminense will give Chelsea a good game as the Brazilians are always up for the Club World Cup. However, the Blues should be too strong for them on this occasion, and Maresca's side will likely win 2-0.
How to watch Fluminense vs. Chelsea
Fluminense will take on Chelsea at 3:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jul. 8 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The match will be televised on TNT and TruTV. Whilst it can also be streamed on DAZN, Fubo, DirectTV Stream and Sling Blue.