Benfica vs Chelsea Betting Tips & Preview: Club World Cup Round of 16 Showdown
28th June 2025
Benfica vs Chelsea Betting Tips & Preview: Club World Cup Round of 16 ShowdownThe knockout phase of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 gets underway on Saturday with its first all European tie of the last 16 with Portuguese giants Benfica taking on a the Premier League’s Chelsea in Charlotte at 8pm BST. Chelsea cruised through their group despite a loss to an impressive Flamengo and now face their first real test in the shape of a Benfica side that topped a tricky Group C. Both teams come in with momentum—Benfica having edged Bayern Munich earlier in the tournament and Chelsea putting three past Esperance. Statz.ai predicts a tight contest, narrowly favouring the English team squeeze into the quarter finals.
Benfica’s Balance or Chelsea’s Bite
Benfica’s blend of youthful energy and veteran experience has made them a difficult side to beat. 37-year-old Ángel Di María and Vangelis Pavlidis have stood out in attack with three and two goals respectively, and the Greek number nine is projected as the most likely scorer on the pitch. Chelsea, meanwhile, have flattered to deceive in the group stage, with Liam Delap’s debut performance the main bright spot. The Englishman has both a goal and an assist to his name, the former set up by Enzo Fernández—who was returning the favour after Delap assisted his only goal of the tournament in their tournament opener against LAFC. Fernández could be the provider again here and leads the projected assists, with Pedro Neto, another bright spot, ranking second.
Battle Lines
On to the Benfica vs Chelsea Betting Tips; Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic dished out nine yellows and one red in his only other game at this tournament between River Plate and Monterrey. While Benfica and Chelsea rank fourth and seventh respectively for yellow cards in the tournament so far. The statz.ai model is suggesting at least four with the returning from suspension for two yellows, Alvaro Carreras most likely to receive one with a Moises Caicedo booking double 8/1 @Bet365 offering better value. Caicedo also profiles strongly for tackles, with 2.77 projected, though he’s averaged 4.5 per game—third highest in the tournament. Benfica’s Samuel Dahl has a consistent 2.33 this tournament, despite restricted minutes, while centre-backs Otamendi and his partner Antonio Silva have both produced big tackle games with a four-to-five range.
Best Player Angles
With Chelsea favourites but not runaway ones, the value may sit in individual markets. Enzo Fernández to register a goal or assist against his former team looks decent value at 21/10 @Bet365. Numerous fouls are projected so expect Carreras and Caicedo are likely to be in the thick of it. An even and hopefully entertaining contest on Saturday could unfold with Chelsea ultimately advancing.