Chelsea vs. Palmeiras odds, picks: FIFA Club World Cup best bets, predictions Friday
Sometimes a draw just breaks your way.
That's exactly what's happened with Chelsea at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are all on the bottom half of the bracket, but Chelsea is on the top with Palmeiras, Al-Hilal, and Fluminense.
The path is wide open for the Blues to get into the FIFA Club World Cup.
FIFA Club World Cup: Chelsea vs. Palmeiras preview
The FIFA Club World Cup featured plenty of cannon fodder, but Chelsea were in a difficult group with Flamengo, LAFC, and ES Tunis.
The Blues slipped up against Flamengo in a 3-1 defeat, but they took care of business on either side of that match to qualify for the Round of 16.
The defeat to Flamengo was a bit of a shock to the system, but it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it put Chelsea in the top half of the bracket, pitting them against Benfica in the Round of 16.
Chelsea's 4-1 win over Benfica was strange.
The match went to extra time tied 1-1, and the two clubs were forced off the pitch for a two-hour weather delay, but the Blues were deserving winners.
Chelsea created 2.7 expected goals and four big scoring chances in the contest, while holding Benfica to just 1.2 xG and one big chance.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall celebrates a goal for Chelsea.
FIFA via Getty Images
It was a weird match, but it was the most impressive display from the Blues in this tournament.
They'll need to bring that form with them on Friday night as they take on Palmeiras, one of the tournament's surprise packages.
Like a lot of South American teams, Palmeiras prefer to play a physical, low-event style of soccer and make life difficult for their opponents.
They played a snoozer against Botafogo in the Round of 16, winning 1-0 in extra time. That match featured just 2.43 expected goals and two big scoring chances combined, which is exactly what Palmeiras will want Friday night.
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FIFA Club World Cup: Chelsea vs. Palmeiras pick
Chelsea will want this game to open up, but the last thing the Blues can afford is to get caught and fall behind early. That would allow Palmeiras to sit back and do their thing.
The Blues likely have too much talent for Palmeiras and get through, but this one should get off to a sluggish start.
The Play: Same-Game Parlay: 1H Under 0.5 goals/Chelsea ML (+525, BetMGM)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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New York Times
13 minutes ago
- New York Times
Palmeiras 1 Chelsea 2 – Enzo Maresca's side claim hard-earned win to reach semis
PHILADELPHIA – Chelsea marched on to the semifinals of the Club World Cup on Friday night, surviving a spirited effort from Brazilian side Palmeiras to run out 2-1 winners. An early strike from Cole Palmer and a late own goal from Agustin Giay – where goalkeeper Weverton was the primary culprit — made the difference at Lincoln Financial Field in an entertaining game where Chelsea were good value for the win. Advertisement There was also a treat to be had for Chelsea fans in the Palmeiras equaliser that made things tricky for a while. Teenage sensation Estevao, who will move to Stamford Bridge after the tournament, produced one of the juiciest strikes of the competition to make the contest decidedly interesting. Having won the Europa Conference League and finished fourth in the Premier League to clinch Champions League football next season, things had already been looking up for Enzo Maresca's young squad. Now the team is just two wins away from lifting the Club World Cup, and will make the short journey to New York with a spring in their step and a date with another Brazilian outfit, Fluminense, set for Tuesday. Chelsea came into the clash after a mixed group campaign that included a defeat to Flamengo, followed by a weather-delayed round of 16 victory over Benfica. Palmeiras were not entirely convincing in winning Group A, before seeing off fellow Brazilian side Botafogo. The Athletic's Mark Carey and Larry Henry break down the action. When each player was announced onto the pitch before kick off, the biggest cheer was reserved for Cole Palmer. It had to be. Chelsea's No. 10 is the talisman, the creative spark, and was also the goalscorer in Philadelphia. Remarkably, his 16th minute opener was his first goal of the Club World Cup and his first in all competitions in two months — the last being vs. Liverpool in the Premier League on May 4. Receiving the ball from Trevor Chalobah between the lines, Palmer's delightful first touch — and subsequent touch — was excellent, the ball sticking to his foot beautifully before a calm finish into the far corner set Chelsea on their way. Palmer returned to a familiar central attacking position against Palmeiras, after Maresca's experimentation with the 23-year-old on the left side of Chelsea's attack against Benfica. Unsurprisingly, his movement, vision, and execution were all on song as he continually found space to punish Palmeiras from the right half space. Advertisement In raw terms, Palmer's goal and assist output might have dipped from the astronomical numbers he was posting at the start of his Chelsea career, but his performances not been anywhere near as disappointing as people might have made out last season. On a warm night in Philadelphia, it was refreshing to see the 'Cold Palmer' celebration make an appearance for the first time in a while. It's very rare you see a teenager score against his future club, but Palmeiras' starlet Estevao added his name to that rare list in Philadelphia. Estevao, 18, dialed his own number only eight minutes after halftime. Richard Rios' cross was gathered by Estevao on the right side of the Chelsea box before the attacker cut to the end-line and ripped a shot off the crossbar and into the back of the net. It was an acute angle, a tough angle, but one that Estevao defied to score his first Club World Cup goal. Although Chelsea would eventually grab the winner Estevao surely left a positive impression on Blues boss Maresca, showing his versatility and willingness to try things in the final third. The Sao Paulo-born midfielder had garnered plenty of attention throughout the past 12 months after Chelsea reportedly agreed to pay Palmeiras a €34 ($40) million fee for his services. Now with 12 goals and five assists, including Thursday's stunner from 'The City of Brotherly Love', you can see why the Blues paid what they did to get the growing talent into their short and long-term plans. While his Palmeiras career may be coming to an end, an exciting new chapter at Stamford Bridge is just six weeks away from starting. As Chelsea's starting line-up came through an hour before kick-off, the formation suggested that Reece James would be lining up in midfield — just as he did against Flamengo in the group stage. However, an injury in the warm up meant Chelsea's captain was forced to drop out, with 21-year-old Andrey Santos coming in to make his first competitive start for the club since signing in 2023. Advertisement Given that Chelsea were more likely to dominate possession against Palmeiras, it made sense that Maresca opted to select Santos instead of new signing Dario Essugo — who is more of a destructive midfield presence in the centre of the pitch. The reviews for Santos were positive overall, with plenty of neat and tidy passes as he continuously offered himself as an option in Chelsea's 3-1-5-1 formation when in possession. With the dominance they had on the ball, it meant that Santos often acted as a single pivot which allowed Enzo Fernandez to push higher and flex his attacking muscles a little more. That being said, when Palmeiras did come back into the game in the second half, some crucial tackles and interceptions were required from Santos as he snuffed out danger when required. In the absence of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia — out due to suspension and injury, respectively — there were question marks on how Chelsea's midfield would operate in Philadelphia. While Maresca's side were not truly stretched by Palmeiras across the game, their tactical flexibility and depth of squad has been impressive to see this summer. The fact that Santos can slot in so seamlessly in the centre of the park is testament to that. Lincoln Financial Field hadn't disappointed during its FIFA Club World Cup hosting duties this summer and Friday's Chelsea-Palmeiras match was no different. A total of 65,782 packed the home of the Philadelphia Eagles and delivered one of the better overall atmospheres in the eight matches that the city hosted. Between the green and white jerseys, scarves, and flags of the Palmeiras contingent, as well as the blue and white colors of the traveling Chelsea supporters, both clubs were well represented. It marked Chelsea's third match in Philadelphia after previously taking on Flamengo and Esperance de Tunis in the group stage. Similar to the Blues other matches, there were plenty of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and even Christian Pulisic kits represented around the stadium. Palmeiras, who was the third Brazilian club to play in Philadelphia this summer, also had some of the best support in the competition. Flamengo and Botafogo were also well represented in the city, but Palmeiras fans took it up another level.. Just ask the famous City Hall. Palmeiras fans out at Philadelphia City Hall 📸 #FIFACWC — Chelsea Photos (@ChelseaInPhotos) July 4, 2025 While Philadelphia's Club World Cup schedule may be over, this summer proved to be a positive dress rehearsal ahead of the city's hosting duties for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If anything, it was against the run of play. After Chelsea's dominant first half, Enzo Maresca's side let Palmeiras back into the contest with a passive start to the second half from which the Brazilians capitalised. While Maresca will be disappointed with the performance at times, he will be equally happy with the response from his players. Despite Palmeiras's threat on the counter-attack, Chelea stayed in the game, worked their way forward and snuck a winner thanks to a deflected Malo Gusto effort from a corner. It might not have been the most beautiful finish, and there is no doubt that goalkeeper Weverton should have done much better, but Chelsea will not mind at all. A crucial late goal sets up a very winnable semi-final clash with Fluminense that could give them a straightforward route to the final in New York in less than a fortnight. Advertisement Suspensions and injuries might be the main barrier to success, but Chelsea showed character and grit in Philadelphia and were worthy of their victory across the course of the game. Saturday, July 5 PSG vs. Bayern, 12 p.m. ET/5 p.m. UK (Atlanta) Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid, 4 p.m. ET/9 p.m. UK (East Rutherford, N.J.) Tuesday, July 8 Fluminense vs. Chelsea, 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. UK (East Rutherford, N.J.) Wednesday, July 9 PSG/Bayern vs. Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid, 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. UK (East Rutherford, N.J.) Sunday, July 13 TBD vs. TBD, 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. UK (East Rutherford, N.J.)
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
(Video): Chelsea's double deflected goal which gives Blues lead in quarter final
Chelsea are back ahead in the Club World Cup quarter final, and are now just a few minutes from the semis! It's come from a Malo Gusto cross after the full back found himself high up the pitch after a corner and their opposition failed to push up quickly enough. Advertisement Palmeiras got a huge slice of luck when Robert Sanchez let Estevao Willian's shot in over his head at the near post to level the game. Now it was Chelsea's turn to get some luck. Weverton was caught out by the deflection that the ball took off a defender, and the keeper totally failed to react to the change in direction. He froze, the ball clipped him and went in. You've got to feel a little for the Brazilians here – this meant so much to them, and it was a sad way to go out. You can see the goal in the clip embedded here: [Footage from DAZN] Chelsea face major semi challenges after injuries and suspensions Malo Gusto celebrates a quarter final goal. (Photo by) Advertisement It was another pretty impressive gritty win from Chelsea, who certainly had a wobble when Palmeiras scored in the second half. The goal was not the prettiest, but it got the job done. They had looked really impressive earlier in the game, even without Moises Caicedo. But they couldn't sustain that level for 90 minutes. Once again, there's a strong sense that bad goalkeeping was a serious factor here. Liam Delap and Levi Colwill picking up yellow cards to create suspensions for the semi, plus unknown injuries to Reece James and Benoit Badiashile make things very interesting against Fluminense indeed. Tonight is about celebrating, but there will be a lot of thinking for Enzo Maresca to do in the next few days
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14 minutes ago
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Cal Raleigh ties Ken Griffey Jr.'s Mariners record for home runs before All-Star break with 35
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