Flamengo vs Chelsea Prediction: Dirty Delap at it again

Flamengo and Chelsea made identical starts to the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup, beating Esperance de Tunis and Los Angeles FC 2-0, respectively. At least one team's 100% record will be gone, though, after they meet at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Friday (19:00, Channel 5/DAZN).

Below are my Flamengo vs Chelsea predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this Group D game.

Team News

Flamengo head coach Filipe Luis, who won the 2014/15 Premier League and Carabao Cup as a player in his only season at Chelsea, could opt to name an unchanged starting XI on Friday, following his side's success against ES Tunis on Tuesday.

Giorgian de Arrascaeta opened the scoring for the Rubro-Negro in the 17th minute, and Luiz Araujo doubled their lead against the Tunisians in the 70th minute. Another ex-Blue, Jorginho, made his debut for Flamengo in their Club World Cup opener, registering an assist for the second goal before departing in the 74th minute.

The 33-year-old is expected to start in the middle of the park again alongside Erick Pulgar, with Gerson and Pedro assisting the goalscorers in attack.

Football Odds

Gonzalo Plata made his return to action after over a month out injured, taking to the field in the 65th minute alongside Bruno Henrique, and both are expected to be given more substitute minutes on Friday.

Michael and former Liverpool man Allan also came on for Flamengo, and the Merseyside connection doesn't stop there, as Everton, not to be confused with unused substitute Evertton Araujo, was a late arrival for Luiz Araujo.

Chelsea similarly outclassed Los Angeles earlier in the week, but while Flamengo are expected to keep the same starting XI, the same can't be said for the Premier League club.

Enzo Maresca made two substitutions at half-time on Monday, taking off Reece James and Romeo Lavia for Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez. Given the injury issues suffered by James and Lavia in recent seasons, the Italian tactician may think it wise to avoid starting the duo twice in five days, so their replacements in Atlanta could be given the nod from the off in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, Liam Delap could earn his first Chelsea start following his summer move from Ipswich Town. The 22-year-old came on for Nicolas Jackson in the 64th minute on Monday and took just 15 minutes to register his first goal involvement with the Blues, setting up Fernandez for Chelsea's second and final goal at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Flamengo vs Chelsea Odds

It looks like a two-way battle between Flamengo and Chelsea for top spot in Group D. The Brazilians are 16/5, or a 23.8% chance, to move onto six points after their second game, while the English outfit are 19/20 to claim back-to-back wins, implying a 51.3% probability.

The draw is priced at 5/2, both teams to score at 10/11, and over 2.5 total goals at 1/1.

Delap and Cole Palmer (both 9/5) head the anytime goalscorer market, with Pedro (11/5) considered Flamengo's most likely marksman.

Player to Receive a Card - Liam Delap (CHE) @ 3/1

Delap laid on Chelsea's second goal earlier in the week, but while he's best known for his goal involvements in the final third, the 22-year-old has also established a reputation as something of a battering ram.

He was booked 12 times in the 2024/25 Premier League for Ipswich, with only Southampton's Flynn Downes and Fulham's Sasa Lukic (both 12) matching that tally - and both players are industrious midfielders who are expected to do the dirty work in the middle of the park.

Delap averaged 2.5 fouls per 90 minutes in the English top flight this season, and he wasted little time introducing the physical element of his game in the blue of Chelsea on Monday.

Today's Football Fixtures

The England U21 striker conceded two free-kicks against Los Angeles, with the first of his fouls arriving within a minute of his introduction.

He ended the Premier League campaign with three cards in his last five appearances, including one in his final outing against West Ham United at Portman Road, where he came on in the 70th minute and was booked 11 minutes later.

I think he'll begin Friday's game, but whether it's as a starter or a substitute, Delap is always a solid shout in the player card market.

Player to Have 1 or More Shots on Target - Enzo Jeremias Fernandez (CHE) @ 10/11

Fernandez started Chelsea's Club World Cup opener on the bench, most likely due to having played the 70 minutes of Argentina's 1-1 draw with Colombia five days prior. His presence on the bench afforded Lavia, whose season has been heavily disrupted by injury, a rare start in midfield alongside Moises Caicedo, who is established as the Blues' first-choice enforcer in the middle of the park.

I'm expecting Lavia to drop down to the bench on Friday, allowing Fernandez to regain his spot in midfield, where he has done so much damage from in 2024/25.

The 24-year-old has scored 10 goals for club and country this season, the latest of which arrived from the bench against Los Angeles on Monday. Fernandez was introduced at the start of the second half and saw his first shot blocked in the 67th minute before having an effort saved two minutes later. Unperturbed, he popped up in the box in the 79th minute to score the second and final goal of the game.

That was the Argentine's third goal in his last six matches for Chelsea, and backing a fourth in seven may well appeal at 9/2, especially considering his only international goal this season came in March against Brazil, who fielded two Flamengo players that day, Wesley and Leo Ortiz.

However, I'm taking a more cautious approach and just selecting him to register at least one shot on target, something he has done in four of his last six club games (two in his last appearance v Los Angeles).

Offers

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