The FIFA Club World Cup will come to an end on Sunday with a Chelsea vs PSG final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Paris Saint-Germain have the opportunity to become concurrent European and World champions, as they won the Champions League in May. Chelsea also won the Conference League in May and can also add to this season’s trophy haul on Sunday. In addition to the massive amounts of prize money both clubs have already secured, there’s an extra $40 million waiting for the winner.
To reach the final, Chelsea took down Fluminense 2-0 on Tuesday behind a brace from new signing Joao Pedro. Meanwhile, PSG decimated Real Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday as Fabian Ruiz scored two goals of his own. It’s no surprise the final is between two European powerhouses and they’ll both be motivated beyond monetary reasons to bring home silverware.
Ahead of Sunday’s match, we’ll preview all of the action and discuss the latest injuries and suspensions. Finally, we’ll share our top soccer bet for this Chelsea vs PSG match, from a value perspective.
Chelsea vs PSG: Road to the Final
Chelsea
In the group stage, Chelsea had a favorable schedule which consisted of LAFC, Flamengo and Esperance Tunis. In Chelsea’s first group game, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scored to take down LAFC, 2-0. Neto scored again to put the Blues up 1-0, 13 minutes into their second match against Flamengo. However, Nicolas Jackson picked up a second half red card and Chelsea fell 3-1.
Enzo Maresca’s side responded with a 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis in the final group game. Two wins and a loss were good enough for second place in Group D. In the round of 16, Chelsea scored three extra time goals in a 4-1 win over Benfica. Then, they defeated Palmeiras 2-1 in the quarters. In the Semifinal, Chelsea beat Fluminense 2-0 as Joao Pedro marked his first Chelsea start with two beautiful goals.
PSG
Meanwhile, PSG kicked off their tournament with a dominant 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid. Shockingly, PSG couldn’t break down Botafogo and lost 1-0, breaking a six game winning streak. Still, PSG managed to beat Seattle Sounders 2-0 in the final group game and won a three-way tiebreaker to finish in first place in Group B.
PSG have hit their stride in the knockout stage. They kicked it off with a 4-0 win over Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the round of 16. In the Quarterfinal, PSG beat Bayern Munich 2-0 despite red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez. On Wednesday, PSG dominated Real Madrid in all phases of the game and picked up a deserved 4-0 victory.
Chelsea Bolstering Attack
Since the end of the Premier League season, Chelsea have made multiple signings in forward areas to bolster their attack. Estevao Willian, who agreed to join Chelsea from Palmeiras in 2024, will link up with the Blues in a few weeks.
Chelsea also snapped up striker Liam Delap from relegated Ipswich Town in a shrewd £30m deal. Then, Chelsea wrapped up a deal with Brighton for the versatile Joao Pedro and signed the talented Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund in the last week.
While Estevao and Gittens won’t be playing on Sunday, Delap and Joao Pedro could leave their mark on the final. Delap was suspended for the Semifinal but scored in the group stage against Esperance Tunis. Meanwhile, Joao Pedro left a huge impression on Maresca and Blues fans by scoring two stunners against Fluminense.
Pedro can lead the line, play as a number 10 or out wide. It’d be surprising if he doesn’t start at striker over Nicolas Jackson and Delap on Sunday. Meanwhile, Levi Colwill will also come back from a suspension and will likely start alongside Trevoh Chalobah in defense. Unfortunately, fellow center back Benoit Badiashile picked up an injury against Benfica that ended his tournament.
Chelsea have some big talents in the squad and their midfield is particularly strong. Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez should be the starting midfield trio on Sunday. Especially since Romeo Lavia has missed the last couple of games with an injury.
Meanwhile, winger Pedro Neto has scored three goals for the Blues during the tournament and has looked dangerous nearly every time he gets into space.
PSG Looking Nearly Unstoppable
PSG dominated from start to finish on Wednesday and were up 3-0 against Real Madrid just 24 minutes into the FIFA Club World Cup Semifinal. Ballon d’Or favorite Ousmane Dembele scored for a second straight match while Fabian Ruiz scored a brace.
Lucas Beraldo filled in for the suspended Willian Pacho at center back and put in a great shift. No matter who’s been playing at the back, PSG have been defensively solid. They have conceded just one goal in six Club World Cup games and have kept clean sheets against powerhouses like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
Some are even touting Luis Enrique’s hard working PSG side as the most dominant club team since Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona sides. With the way PSG are playing, it’s not a bad shout. One of the major differences between PSG and Real Madrid on Wednesday was PSG’s relentless pressing.
Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue were all willing to put in the dirty work defensively while Real Madrid’s Vini Jr. Kylian Mbappe, formerly of PSG, were most definitely not. Defending from the front put pressure on Real Madrid’s defense and caused errors that led to PSG goals.
Expect not much to change lineup wise for Paris Saint-Germain from the Semifinal to the Final. Pacho and Lucas Hernandez are both suspended for the final after picking up red cards in the Quarterfinal against Bayern Munich. So, Beraldo should partner Marquinhos at center back once again.
Chelsea vs PSG Analysis, Best Value Bet
PSG’s only loss of this FIFA Club World Cup, and the last two months, came against a Botafogo side playing a low block defensively. Low blocks are not exactly Chelsea’s DNA and bettors should expect the Blues to go for it.
The problem is, any team that tries to play good football against PSG runs into a brick wall. Any question of a lack of motivation by Enrique’s men has been swiftly answered with some huge PSG wins over top tier opposition. PSG have outscored their knockout stage opponents 10-0 and have one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Ahead of this Chelsea vs PSG final, PSG have already defeated two teams (Bayern Munich, Real Madrid) in the top ten of Opta’s club rankings. Meanwhile, Chelsea are yet to face a team in the top ten and have had a favorable run of matches that has undoubtedly contributed to their success.
It’s hard to bet against the Parisians in this Chelsea vs PSG matchup with the form they’re in. Plus, their midfield trio of Ruiz, Vitinha and Joao Neves have proved they can handle any challenge that comes their way.
Bettors should note that PSG have scored at least twice in ten of their last 11 games, in all competitions. They’ve also kept clean sheets in seven of their last eight games. Chelsea’s a good side but they’re not on PSG’s level, even with some recent additions. So, for this Chelsea vs PSG final, our best value bet is PSG -1.5 at +155 odds.
Expect PSG to be crowned World Champions on Sunday in convincing fashion.
