Club World Cup: Chivu Must Start Winning With Inter Milan
Inter Milan vs Urawa Reds
Inter Milan’s 2025 Club World Cup campaign is off to an underwhelming start under new head coach Cristian Chivu, who replaced Simone Inzaghi (who took the Al-Hilal job) recently. In Chivu’s first official game at the helm, the Nerazzurri settled for a 1-1 draw against Monterrey yesterday at Rose Bowl.
With the draw, Inter Milan are third in Group E with one point, level with second-seeded Monterrey and two points adrift of top-seeded River Plate, who defeated the Urawa Reds 3-1 last night. Chivu’s men are in a must-win situation when they face the Urawa Reds this Saturday night at Lumen Field to avoid further embarrassment.
The Urawa Reds are not expected to do much in this tournament, but a win or a draw against Inter Milan could give them some hope. Maciej Skorża’s side will be keen to prove doubters wrong this weekend.
Learn more about these two teams in today’s SBOTOP preview.
Talking Points
Inter Milan have valid fitness concerns
Cristian Chivu chalked it up to their lack of fitness as the main reason in their 1-1 draw against Monterrey. Inter Milan looked flat at the beginning of the match, which is why they conceded a goal from Sergio Ramos before Lautaro Martinez scored the equalizer three minutes before halftime.
Inter Milan were coming off a loss against PSG in the Champions League final less than three weeks ago, and they just changed coaches, so they didn’t have enough time to recharge their batteries. Chivu will miss the services of several key players against the Urawa Reds, as Hakan Calhanoglu, Mehdi Taremi, Yann Bisseck, and Denzel Dumfries are not 100 percent fit.
Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram speaks to the media before a training session ahead of the Club World Cup 2025
Chivu went with Sebastiano Esposito and Lautaro Martinez leading their frontline. Marcus Thuram replaced Esposito before the hour mark because the 22-year-old limped off the pitch, only for Thuram to pick up a new injury himself.
With Marko Arnautovic and Joaquin Correa having left the club, Inter Milan lack depth in the final third, and they must reinforce their frontline this summer.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan saw a mixed bag from their newest signings, Luis Henrique and Petar Sucic. Henrique looked comfortable in his 32-minute cameo when he replaced Benjamin Pavard, while Sucic struggled in a three-man midfield setup after he replaced Kristjan Asllani.
Urawa Reds must be disciplined
The Urawa Reds experienced all sorts of problems on the defensive end during yesterday’s loss against River Plate. Don’t be surprised if Maciej Skorża’s side deploys a low block to counterattack if Inter Milan make mistakes, since they also lack firepower compared to their Serie A counterparts.
Unlike the Nerazzurri, the J-League outfit doesn’t have fresh injury worries ahead of this weekend. However, Samuel Gustafson and Ryoma Watanabe are one yellow card away from suspension after they got one each against River Plate. Watanabe is keen to create new Club World Cup 2025 highlights for his club. The 28-year-old forward is the Urawa Reds’ top scorer with six league goals and one assist so far this term.
History
Saturday marks the first-ever competitive meeting between Inter Milan and the Urawa Reds. The Urawa Reds are seeking their first Club World Cup title, while Inter Milan have already won it before in 2010, beating TP Mazembe 3-0 in the final. On the other hand, the Urawa Reds finished third in 2007 and finished fourth in the previous edition of the competition in 2023, when Manchester City won.
Real Madrid are the winningest team in Club World Cup history with five trophies, followed by Barcelona (3), Corinthians (2), and Bayern Munich (2). Like Inter Milan, Liverpool, Chelsea, Sao Paulo, Internacional, AC Milan, Manchester United, and Manchester City have won one each.
The Club World Cup 2025 odds expect Cristian Chivu to notch his first win as Inter Milan manager this Saturday. The Nerazzurri are 1.19 favorites to win, whereas the Urawa Reds are massive 10.00 underdogs, and a draw is at 6.10 in the 1X2 market.
We’d like to believe Inter Milan have learned from their setback against Monterrey, so they’ll unload on the Urawa Reds. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also go for alternatives like Over 3.00 at 1.75, Over 3.25 at 2.00, Over 3.50 at 2.25, and Total Goal 4-6 at 2.41, with Total Goals 2-3 at 2.23 being the more conservative choice. Meanwhile, any Correct Score that’s a draw could yield a tempting payday, with Correct Scores of 0-0 and 1-1 offering 22.00 and 13.00 your bet.
With the memory of their first ever Champions League triumph still vivid, Paris Saint-Germain made a statement in the first round of the 2025 Club World Cup with a thumping 4-0 win over another European giant, Atletico Madrid.
Paris were in charge of Spaniards from the 19th minute as Fabian Ruiz broke the usually stubborn Atletico resistance and the excellent Vitinha doubled the lead just before the break. Los Rojiblancos did fight back at the start of the second period but Argentine striker Julian Alvarez was denied a goal when Koke was penalised for a foul in the build up. Late goals from Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in gave the score a lob-sided look, but to whack four past Atleti without reply is some feat and Los Rojiblancos’ day got even worse when their French defender Clement Lenglet was red carded.
The Club World Cup 2025 betting odds place PSG alongside Real Madrid and Manchester City as likely winners and on this evidence, Luis Enrique’s side are the team to beat. They are brimming with confidence and have that winning habit which will be hard to break. Meanwhile, Atleti need to find their feet quickly if they are to avoid a rapid exit.
Delap stars in Chelsea win
In our SBOTOP preview of Chelsea’s clash with Los Angeles we picked out the Blues’ summer signing Liam Delap as a player to watch, and he made a bright start to his career in West London with an assist, as Chelsea picked up a comfortable 2-0 win over the MLS outfit. The former Ipswich Town striker made an assist late in the second half after climbing off the bench midway through the second period.
Liam Delap marks Chelsea start with assist in 2-0 win vs. LAFC at 2025 Club World Cup
The Blues were already 1-0 up after Pedro Neto sprung the offside trap to collect a Nicolas Jackson through ball and slide it past ex Tottenham Hotpsur keeper Hugo Lloris. Delap made his mark when he picked up a pass from Cole Palmer and curled in a brilliant cross from the right flank to give Enzo Fernandez an easy finish. Enzo Maresca’s Blues are in a good place after winning the Europa Conference League and earning a Champions League place with a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. It seems that Maresca finally has this expensively assembled squad functioning.
The great Sergio Ramos still has it!
Just 17 days after they suffered a 5-0 humiliation to PSG in the Champions League final, Inter Milan were thwarted in their Club World Cup opener as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Mexican club Monterrey. And it was veteran centre back Sergio Ramos who did the damage, scoring a superb first-half header before Inter striker Lautaro Martinez levelled before the break. Despite dominating possession I Nerazzurri failed to capitalise and Monterray were happy to hold on for a point, with Ramos a powerful figure at the heart of defence. He’s been doing this for over two decades now and the 39-year-old Ramos is clearly enjoying his football as captain of Monterrey. He scored over 100 goals for Real Madrid and 23 goals in 180 internationals with Spain, and Ramos will go down as the most prolific centre back, at the top level of football, in history.
This was Inter boss Cristian Chivu’s first game in charge after the departure of Simone Inzaghi to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, and he thought he had a win when Martinez had the ball in the net again in the second half, but the flag went up for a marginal offside.
Bayern run riot against Auckland minnows
Of all the first round of Club World Cup 2025 results the most eye-catching has to be Bayern Munich’s 10-0 destruction of New Zealand’s Auckland City in Cincinnati. The Bavarians like to hand out a thrashing, rarely easy on opponents further down the food chain and they showed no mercy to the part-time Kiwis as winger Jamal Musiala helped himself to a hat-trick.
It took only six minutes for Kingsley Coman to break open Auckland’s defence with a nicely taken header and then he teed up a second for Sacha Boey. Coman bagged his second and Michael Olise got on the score-sheet twice too, with veteran striker Thomas Muller making it 6-0 by the break. Musiala curled in his first midway through the second half before converting a penalty, and he completed his hat-trick within 17 minutes, and Muller made it ten with his second of the game, as Bayern recorded the biggest victory in the competition’s history.
Club World Cup: A Tie to Rekindle Romance to the Soul
Flamengo vs Chelsea
It must be the football romantic lurking somewhere in the soul of this SBOTOP scribe which makes me intrigued at the prospect of a match-up between a top English side and a top South American club.
Even though all the big money has been in the European game over the past decade or so, a position reflected in the dominance of sides from Europe in the Intercontinental Cup (the battle between the champions of Europe and South America), I retain a feeling that Latin flair can still defeat any outfit on their day.
The difference in spending power between the clubs has never been better illustrated than by the fact nobody raised an eyebrow when João Félix, who joined Chelsea for £45 million less than a year ago, was left out of their 28-man squad for this tournament.
They literally buy and sell as they please, as shown by signing Liam Delap for £30m a few weeks ago, while deciding not to retain Jadon Sancho on a permanent basis, even though sending the winger back to Manchester United triggered a £5m penalty.
The limited nature of the opposition in their group (Flamengo aside) will not stop manager Enzo Maresca from learning more about his players though and, amid speculation linking them to France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, it seems he is already made a decision on his number one not being Robert Sánchez or Filip Jörgensen next term.
The former will start here, just as he did on Monday evening when goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez helped them to World Club Championship 2025 highlights with a 2-0 victory against Los Angeles.
Delap could feature from the start too with Maresca, who guided the west Londoners to a fourth-place finish in the recently concluded campaign, expected to make a few changes against a tougher opponent.
Liam Delap celebrates Chelsea’s victory at the end of the Club World Cup match against Los Angeles FC
Flamengo also opened their tournament with a 2-0 win, this against Espérance from Tunisia.
The Brazilian side top their domestic league after 11 games and are in excellent form. Unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 matches across all competitions and on a five-game winning streak, they have star quality and some familiar faces.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta has been their standout performer and kept up his fine form by opening the scoring against the Tunisians, bringing his tally to 13 goals in 27 appearances this season.
They also have Pedro, recently returned from a serious knee injury and a player who was top scorer and player of the tournament in Flamengo’s 2022 Copa Libertadores-winning campaign.
Overall, his 140 goals and 35 assists in 277 games for the club, amassing 11 trophies along the way, tells its own story.
One player who will need no introduction to the Chelsea faithful is Italian midfielder Jorginho, who made 213 appearances for the Blues before moving to Arsenal.
Flamengo can’t match Chelsea’s spending but they have managed to acquire Jorginho, former Juventus duo Danilo and Alex Sandro as free agents.
Overseeing all of it, Filipe Luis – a former Chelsea defender.
He became Flamengo manager last September, replacing former Brazil coach Tite, and has since led them to the Brazilian Cup, Brazilian Super Cup and the Campeonato Carioca in an impressive first eight months during which they have lost just three times in 45 games.
With the winners of Group D likely to avoid German champions Bayern Munich in the knockout stages, both Flamengo and Chelsea will realise the importance of this tie.
It should be one of the most exciting group games Stateside and one well worth watching.
History
This will be the first ever meeting between the sides.
So this isn’t quite the full-on heavyweight clash this Club World Cup will likely produce a few times over the next couple of weeks.
After Flamengo produced some South American magic and romance, this SBOTOP observer, along with a number of fans, were fully anticipating a Bayern Munich – Chelsea showdown in the last 16.
However, Benfica went and defeated the Bavarians to top their group and book their place in the knockout stages, as Chelsea made sure of their place with a 3-0 win over Esperance de Tunis.
The upshot, though, is that we still have a clash between two big clubs and, based on history, it’s a perfect time for Club World Cup 2025 highlights and, perhaps, for this fabled Portuguese institution to gain some revenge.
Talking Points
That’s because Bruno Lage’s men, who provided a resolute defensive performance in their 1-0 victory over the Germans, have never defeated the west Londoners.
Lage is well known to Premier League fans following a short spell in charge of Wolves in 2022 and has some genuine talent at his disposal.
Against Bayern, Benfica managed just 28 percent possession, but their right-sided efforts with and without the ball were a notable theme with the trio of Angel Di Maria – the 37-year-old former Real Madrid, Manchester United, and PSG right-winger – Fredrik Aursnes and Gianluca Prestianni combining impressively.
The Portuguese side could be without a few key men, as PSG-linked Tomas Araujo remains an injury concern, with Alexander Bah and Manuel Silva both ruled out for sure.
On the upside for Benfica, full-back Alvaro Carreras, linked with a move to Real Madrid, will return from suspension, while former Torino striker Andrea Belotti has returned.
Benfica ended last season as runners-up in the Portuguese top-flight, with their tally of 80 points matching what they achieved the previous year.
The question in my mind is, are they capable of winning against a big beast, as, remember, Bayern had already qualified, so they may have taken their foot off the gas on Tuesday night.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who guided the west Londoners to a fourth-place finish in the recently concluded campaign, will be without Nicolas Jackson as he serves the second of a two-match ban for a daft red card against Flamengo.
Chelsea’s Liam Delap in action against ES Tunis in the Club World Cup 2025
The Senegal international might be resigning himself to watching much of the rest of Chelsea’s challenge in the States this summer from the bench, given new recruit Liam Delap notched his first Chelsea goal in the victory ES Tunis.
Maresca always believed Delap would adapt quickly to life at Chelsea and has “no doubt” the £30 million summer signing will add to his first goal for the club.
I expect him to keep his place in the starting XI, while Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, and captain Reece James are all expected to return to the starting XI after enjoying full rests in midweek.
With Saturday’s tie promising to be an interesting tactical contest, keep an eye out for the battle in wide areas — it could prove crucial.
History
It’s three meetings, three Chelsea successes so far, and all of the games will hold a special memory for the west Londoners.
The last time they met was in the final of the 2013 Europa League when Branislav Ivanovic headed a 90th-minute winner to clinch the trophy, this after Fernando Torres and Oscar Cardozo (penalty) had traded goals in Amsterdam.
The season before also saw Chelsea win home and away in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the year they went on to win the trophy for the first time.
Salomon Kalou scored the only goal in Lisbon before Frank Lampard (penalty) and Raul Meireles netted in a 2-1 success at Stamford Bridge for a 3-1 aggregate win. Javi Garcia had replied for the Portuguese.
Chelsea are big favourites with the Club World Cup 2025 betting odds. They are priced 1X2 @ 2.08 and Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.16. The draw is on offer @ 3.07 with Benfica backing options with 1X2 @ 3.16 and Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 1.93.
A third successive 2-1 Chelsea win will pay out @ 7.80 with Correct Score, whereas you can earn a pay day @ 12.50 if Benfica claim a first ever victory against them by the same scoreline.
I think there will be a few goals and have considered total goal 0-1 @ 3.04, 2-3 @ 1.98 and 4-6 @ 3.42.
Ultimately, I am going for honours even, although obviously one side will have to triumph after extra time or penalties in this knockout tie.
Palmeiras and Botafogo Renew Brazilian Rivalry in the 2025 Club World Cup
Palmeiras vs Botafogo
Palmeiras and Botafogo will renew their Brazilian Serie A rivalry in the 2025 Club World Cup after qualifying for the knockout stage. Palmeiras finished at the top of Group A with five points and have a superior goal difference over second-seeded Inter Miami. On the other hand, Botafogo took second place in Group B after edging Atletico Madrid by a whisker despite having the same number of points (6).
The Alviverde are fresh from a 2-2 draw against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami last Tuesday, as they came back from down two goals to salvage a point. Meanwhile, O Glorioso lost 1-0 against Atletico Madrid, but their previous victories over the Seattle Sounders (2-1) and PSG (1-0) were enough for them to get by.
The pregame SBOTOP betting odds suggest that football fans at Lincoln Financial Field are in for a barn burner this Saturday evening, making this a compelling Round of 16 tie.
Talking Points
Veiga and Estevao are the engines for Palmeiras
After a goalless draw against Porto to open their Club World Cup campaign, Palmeiras picked up the scoring in their next two group stage matches against Al-Ahly (2-0) and Inter Miami (2-2) to give them the edge in Group A. They benefited from an own goal by Wessam Abou Ali, and Jose Manuel Lopez, Paulinho, and Mauricio found the back of the net for Abel Ferreira’s side.
However, this wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of Raphael Veiga and Estevao. They have formed a solid partnership with Jose Manuel Lopez and Facundo Torres in the final third. Veiga has created the most chances of any player in Group A (8) despite not playing more than 45 minutes in any of his three matches (115 minutes in total). Estevao led all Palmeiras players for take-ons attempted (12) and successful take-ons (6) in the group stage, with 11 of them coming in the opposition half. The Chelsea-bound winger also had the most touches inside the opponent’s box (18).
Botafogo trio is auditioning for a Premier League move
Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha, and Cuiabano are linked with a move to Nottingham Forest this summer, and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo must like what he has seen from them in the Club World Cup. With them leading the way, Botafogo only conceded one goal in their two matches against Atletico Madrid and PSG, the fewest by any side in their first two matches against UEFA opponents in the Club World Cup.
Botafogo manager Renato Paiva gestures during their 2025 Club World Cup Group B clash against Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl
Renato Paiva’s men pulled off a massive upset against PSG, despite having seen less of the ball. Igor Jesus completed a smash-and-grab when he raced past multiple PSG defenders and slotted the ball home past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 36th minute.
Jesus also scored against the Seattle Sounders and was joined by Cunha in the scoresheet. Cunha is exceptional in aerial duels, while fellow defender Cuiabano is an offensive-minded full-back.
History
Unlike in the other matchups here in the 2025 Club World Cup, Palmeiras and Botafogo have a history together, as they’re championship rivals in the Brazilian Serie A in the past few years. Botafogo beat out Palmeiras in last year’s title race by a six-point margin. However, the latter most recently had a repeat after winning in 2022 and 2023. They also faced off in the Round of 16 in last year’s Copa Libertadores, as Botafogo won 4-3 on aggregate after an exciting two-legged encounter.
Renato Paiva’s side is undefeated against Abel Ferreira’s group in their last five competitive encounters (W3, D2). Palmeiras’ last win over Botafogo was a 4-3 result back in November 2023.
Saturday marks only the second-ever all-Brazilian clash in Club World Cup history. The first came in the 2000 final between Corinthians and Vasco da Gama, which ended 0-0 in regulation before Corinthians won the penalty shootout.
The Club World Cup 2025 odds expect a close fight between the two Brazilian Serie A rivals. Palmeiras have the slight edge at 2.37, while Botafogo are not far behind at 2.97, and a draw is at 2.92 in the 1X2 market.
Choosing the winner between these two is difficult, but one thing’s for sure: football fans would get their daily fix of Club World Cup 2025 highlights from this contest. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also go for alternatives such as Over 1.75 at 1.66, Over 2.25 at 2.17, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.92. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 0-0 – the result of their previous league meeting – could yield a solid payday of 6.80 your bet.
PSG are set to face Inter Miami in the Club World Cup Round of 16 on Sunday, with the competition now at the do-or-die phase.
As European champions, the Club World Cup 2025 betting odds have backed PSG from the off, and Luis Enrique’s side would love nothing more than to add this prestigious trophy to their Champions League crown. But Javier Mascherano’s Herons are nothing if not ambitious, and they have a raft of household names in their ranks, the great Lionel Messi for one.
The Argentine maestro is most famous for his glittering career at Barcelona where, between 2004 and 2021, he scored an incredible 474 goals in La Liga, winning 10 Primera Division medals and four Champions League winners medals, and he is the record eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or.
Messi then made the surprise move to PSG in 2021, and there, in a fractious front three alongside his mate Neymar and the Brazilian’s nemesis, Kylian Mbappe, he won two Ligue 1 titles, scoring 22 goals in the two seasons before packing his bags for Miami in 2023. He has enjoyed his time with the Herons as they won the Supporters Shield last season, and he has proved he has still got it, bagging 31 goals in 38 MLS games.
His time in Paris is now water under the bridge, and there will be no hard feelings when he meets his old team in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday. In any case, Mbappe is long gone to Real Madrid, and the French side is in perfectly good spirits at the moment.
PSG secured top spot in Group B to book their place against Miami, who finished second in Group A, and the SBOTOP odds say the French side will progress to the last eight, but they can expect plenty of problems when they meet Messi and co. on Sunday.
Talking Points
Kvaradona stars for PSG
PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring against the Seattle Sounders in the Club World Cup group stage
Enrique’s team made the last 16 relatively comfortably, thrashing Atletico Madrid 4-0 and seeing off Seattle 2-0, but they had a setback when they lost 1-0 to Botafogo in their second match. It was the biggest Club World Cup 2025 news of the tournament so far, as Igor Jesus netted the winner for the Brazilians, but PSG recovered nicely to beat the Americans.
Since his transfer from Napoli in January, Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has become a firm favourite at the Parc des Princes with his wing trickery, which earned him the nickname “Kvaradona” in Naples. He won the rare accolade of being a league winner in two countries in 2025, as he helped PSG win the Ligue 1 title with eight goals in 28 games, while Napoli won the Scudetto for the second time in three years.
Still only 24 years of age, Kvaratskhelia is already one of the best players in Europe, and he has shown what he can do in the USA with two assists already. He will be PSG’s biggest threat on Sunday and one man who might even upstage the great Messi.
Herons aim to continue the fun
Miami started the competition with a 0-0 draw against Al-Ahly before beating FC Porto 2-1 and drawing 2-2 with Palmeiras. That took them through to the knockout phase, and now they want to establish themselves as the most successful MLS side in the history of the Club World Cup.
Messi and his old Barcelona mate Luis Suarez have both been on target, with the Argentine bagging his goal in the crucial win over Porto. And these two, along with another former Blaugrana star, Sergio Busquets, will be the star attractions when Miami heads down to Georgia.
History
With 13 league titles and now, finally, a Champions League crown, PSG are certainly European heavyweights. Meanwhile, Inter Miami, part-owned by former England star David Beckham, broke through in the MLS last year with their first Supporters Shield.
This is the first time PSG and Inter Miami have met, but they both come into the game in fine form. The Parisiens have won five and lost one of the last six games, while the Americans have won three and drawn three.
Miami are priced at 8.68 to spring a major surprise and win this game, with the draw available at 5.89, and PSG are down at 1.20 to win this game. The French are priced at 1.96 with that two-goal disadvantage, and I don’t think they will find it easy against Inter Miami, as indeed they didn’t against Botafogo.
I don’t expect Enrique’s team to better their effort against Seattle, and the most likely scorelines are 2-0 to Paris at odds of 7.52, with 2-1 at 9.25. Don’t rule out an upset either.
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