Club World Cup: Will Chelsea Or Paris Saint-germain Take Home The Trophy?

The FIFA Club World Cup last takes spot astatine MetLife Stadium successful New Jersey connected Sunday arsenic reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain look a resurgent Chelsea, pinch these 2 young teams showcasing nan early of nan game.

Both will beryllium chasing not only nan Club World Cup trophy and nan glory of being named nan champion nine connected nan planet, but besides nan other $10 cardinal prize money nan victor will person to return their minimum net from this tourney to conscionable nether $100 million.

Even for these superwealthy teams, each small spot helps.

Here are immoderate cardinal storylines to attraction connected up of nan final, arsenic Luis Enrique’s PSG is nan clear favourite complete Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.

Engrossing midfield conflict awaits

PSG has nan champion midfield successful nan world. Fabian Ruiz, João Neves and Vitinha are cohesive, property successful a battalion and, erstwhile they triumph it back, are very bully astatine keeping nan shot and keeping nan unit on. Chelsea has Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, a combative duo adept astatine breaking up nan hit and travel of an opposition’s midfielders — but location are only 2 of them against PSG’s whirling dervish of a midfield.

PSG’s midfield trio makes it tick and sets disconnected everything else. However, if it doesn’t triumph nan shot backmost quickly enough, past nan 3 attackers of Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue can’t enactment precocious and beryllium a changeless threat to Chelsea’s defense, and they go much isolated contempt their unthinkable activity rate. Chelsea’s Caicedo has been successful sensational shape for immoderate clip and will relish his domiciled arsenic nan main disruptor. PSG will do its champion to effort and smother Fernandez. It will beryllium intriguing to spot if Maresca starts pinch different much protect midfielder to lucifer up pinch PSG’s trio, aliases sticks pinch his fluid 4-2-3-1 strategy and asks Cole Palmer to driblet deeper from his No. 10 domiciled to inhabit 1 of PSG’s midfielders and effect its unthinkable rhythm.

Adding other intrigue to this area of nan transportation is nan truth that some PSG and Chelsea emotion to invert their full-backs, pinch Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes often popping up successful midfield and cardinal areas, and Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto aliases Reece James doing nan aforesaid thing. That makes a important area of nan transportation moreover much clogged and unpredictable. Bring connected nan chaos.

Will Ousmane Dembele aliases João Pedro beryllium nan goal-scoring hero?

Both teams person received a large boost during this tournament: nan presence of attackers who tin beryllium objective and supply a important cutting edge. Ousmane Dembele returned from wounded during nan knockout rounds and has made a immense difference. His head is calling for him to triumph nan Ballon d’Or (the grant handed to nan champion subordinate connected nan planet) arsenic Dembele’s goals, assists, activity and pressing sum up everything awesome astir this PSG side. But Chelsea received its ain monolithic assurance boost pinch nan signing of João Pedro, who has made a immense effect correct away.

The Brazilian world came disconnected nan chair successful his debut and played a large domiciled successful Chelsea beating Palmeiras successful nan quarterfinal. Then, successful his first start, he scored 2 beauties against his boyhood nine Fluminense to nonstop Chelsea to this final. João Pedro had precocious been connected nan formation relaxing, enjoying his offseason break. Yet conscionable days aft signing pinch Chelsea, he looks group to lead its onslaught successful nan FIFA Club World Cup final.

Both PSG and Chelsea get goals from each complete their attacking lines, but having Dembele backmost and João Pedro connected committee now gives them some a dynamic, objective spearhead to their attack. Of course, Kvaratskhelia and Palmer are mercurial talents for PSG and Chelsea, respectively, and tin triumph immoderate crippled successful a divided 2nd pinch a majestic run, dazzling decorativeness aliases clever flick. But Ousmane, Dembele and João Pedro supply nan driving runs and hold-up play to knit everything together, and they person that important ruthlessness successful beforehand of nan goal.

Chelsea whitethorn person nan deeper squad

After a grueling six-game tally to get to nan Club World Cup last aft an moreover much exhausting 10-month 2024-25 play that has seen some teams play much than 60 games, this last will apt beryllium decided by which squad uses its chair and squad better. And Chelsea has nan deeper squad pinch much options, particularly successful attack.

PSG’s starting lineup is very settled, and disconnected nan chair it usually brings successful Bradley Barcola to person an impact. After that, it has immoderate talented young midfielders and striker Goncalo Ramos to play cameo roles. Chelsea has an full attacking portion afloat of world stars it tin bring connected to alteration things and effort to move nan crippled successful its favor. Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke would commencement for plentifulness of large clubs but will apt beryllium disposable disconnected nan chair successful nan 2nd half. Captain Reece James could commencement connected nan chair excessively but whitethorn beryllium important arsenic a hybrid midfielder/full-back arsenic some he and Andrey Santos could travel connected to springiness Chelsea an other boost erstwhile it needs it most. Chelsea will purpose to support it tight and extremity PSG from dominating nan tempo of nan game, past look to its chair to spot who tin supply that other small spark that could crown it nan champion of nan world.