Club World Cup semifinal Between the Champions of Asia and the Champions of Europe

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How Chelsea And Al Hilal Got Into The Club World Cup.

Chelsea advanced to the tournament's semi-finals after winning the UEFA Champions League last season under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues warmed up for the match with a hard-fought 2-1 FA Cup victory against Plymouth Argyle over the weekend. The European champions have only lost one of their past 15 games in all competitions, and will be looking to win their second trophy of the season after winning the UEFA Super Cup.

After winning the AFC Champions League previous season, Al Hilal qualified for the competition at the quarter-final stage. The Riyadh-based side, managed by former AS Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim, crushed Al Jazira 6-1 to set a new record and clinch a clash with Chelsea in the competition's penultimate round. The Asian club is on a six-game winning streak and will be looking to extend it and reach the finals.

Al Hilal team

The four-time AFC Champions League champions easily dispatched local side Al Jazira 6-1 on Sunday to go to the semifinals. Odion Ighalo (previously of Watford and Manchester United), Matheus Pereira (formerly of West Bromwich Albion), and Moussa Marega (formerly of FC Porto) were among the scorers. Bafétimbi Gomis, a former Swansea (and Lyon) striker, would have likely scored as well, but he joined Galatasaray in the winter transfer window.

The point is, they're not a bunch of unknowns, and they're led by Leonardo Jardim, who made AS Monaco everyone's favorite second club in 2016-17 with their entertaining and offensive football (and also pushed us to spend €40 million on Tiémoué Bakayoko – oopsies!). However, he hasn't had the same level of success with Al Hilal, who are currently fourth in the Saudi Professional League, 13 points behind primary rivals Al Ittihad (with a game in hand) — despite only having two losses on the season (like Chelsea, they've had a few too many draws).

Chelsea team

Chelsea beat CF Monterrey in the semifinals nine years ago, with Juan Mata and Fernando Torres scoring, as well as a Mexican side's own goal. David Luiz had his debut appearance for us in midfield, and we got to see the "MaZaCar" (Mata, Hazard, and Oscar) together, which was always entertaining. Of course, nothing beats victory, so let's start with that.
The Blues will advance to the final on Saturday if they win, and they will be looking to win the Club World Cup for the first time in their history.

Palmeiras will face the winners of Wednesday's encounter in the final after defeating Al Ahly in the second semi-final on Tuesday. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both sides ahead of their David vs. Goliath matchup in Abu Dhabi.

Al Hilal Team News & Tactics.

Al Hilal have no injuries to worry about ahead of Wednesday's semi-final match against Chelsea. Manager Leonardo Jardim will have a completely fit roster at his disposal as he attempts to pull off a major upset.

On Wednesday, the AFC Champions League champions are set to line up in a 4-2-3-1 system and take on their illustrious opponents. Abdullah Al-Mayouf could have a busy game in goal, and his defense, which should include Saud Abdulhamid, Jang Hyun-soo, Ali Al-Bulaihi, and Yaseer Al-Shahrani, will need all the help they can get.
Mohammed Kanoo and Gustavo Cuellar will be in charge of keeping order in the middle of the park and bolstering the backline's security. Matheus Pereira, who scored a brace for West Bromwich Albion against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season in the Premier League, will provide the creative spark.

Moussa Marega and Michael will aim to threaten from wide areas, while supporting the central striker, who is expected to be former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo, who joined Al Hilal in the January transfer window.

Chelsea Team News & Tactics.

Chelsea's manager, Thomas Tuchel, did not travel to Saudi Arabia after testing positive for coronavirus. After helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations, Edouard Mendy may be unavailable for the semi-final match. Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Reece James are all out, while Mason Mount is questionable.
Last time out, Chelsea used a four-man defensive system, but they'll likely switch to a three-man backline on Wednesday. Trevoh Chalobah, Andreas Christensen, and Antonio Rudiger are the three center defenders who should line up in front of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was excellent against Plymouth.

Cesar Azpilicueta, the captain, could start at right wing-back, while Marcos Alonso should start on the opposite flank. For the European champions, the pair will be key in providing width. Mateo Kovacic should start one of the two midfield places, while N'Golo Kante and Jorginho could be saved for the last or later portions of the game if things don't go as planned. Last time out, Chelsea used a four-man defensive system, but they'll likely switch to a three-man backline on Wednesday. Trevoh Chalobah, Andreas Christensen, and Antonio Rudiger are the three center defenders who should line up in front of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was excellent against Plymouth.

Hakim Ziyech has been in excellent form and should be kept in the starting lineup, while Timo Werner should be given a chance on the left flank. In place of the Blues' misfiring Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz should drive the assault against Al
Hilal. Christian Pulisic may also see action at some point during the game.

Scores Predictions

Al Hilal will be buoyed by their thrashing of Al Jazira in the previous round. They will, however, be up against an opponent who is on a whole different level. Chelsea were put to the test at the weekend by Plymouth Argyle, but the sheer quality of their squad and their experience on the big stage should enable them win in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

I predicts a 2 - 0 win for the European champions, setting up a meeting with Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup final.