Chelsea had a positive end to the season, winning the UEFA Conference League title with a 4-1 victory over Betis, and finishing the Premier League campaign in 4th place, securing a place in the next Champions League. As a result, the Blues head to the FIFA Club World Cup with the confidence to have a great campaign.
However, Chelsea's main opponents in the group stage are also going through a great time this season, saying goodbye to their fans with a 5-0 thrashing. In the 11th round of the Brasileirão (Brazil's Serie A), Flamengo thrashed Fortaleza (one of the up-and-coming teams in Brazilian soccer), with more than 60,000 fans in attendance at the Maracanã.
Flamengo's last game before leaving for the United States saw a great attacking performance from the team coached by former player Filipe Luís, who took over at the end of the 2024 season. Since then, they have won the Copa do Brasil (2024), the Supercopa do Brasil and the Rio de Janeiro State Championship.
Filipe Luís is training his team to always dominate the opposition with a lot of possession, vertical passing and the participation of the defenders in the offensive constructions. Flamengo also have the top scorer in the current edition of the Brasileirão, with the presence of De Arrascaeta, a Uruguayan midfielder who has scored nine goals since the start of the league.
Flamengo didn't keep the same pace in the Libertadores
Flamengo's Libertadores group stage campaign was disappointing, as they qualified for the last 16 only in second place in their group behind LDU after six games. The Brazilian side scored six goals in six games in the Libertadores, a considerable difference from the 24 goals scored in 11 games in the Brasileirão.
Unlike in the domestic league, where many teams show drops in physical performance during matches, Flamengo's team had problems dealing with teams that played with low lines and a line of five defenders, guaranteeing the closure of spaces on the sides. This weakness could be exploited by Chelsea in the most important match of the group stage.