The FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 begins on Saturday with Premier League giants Chelsea taking on Portuguese giants Benfica in the high-stakes match at the Bank of America Stadium.
Benfica edged past the German favorites Bayern Munich to top Group C after completing seven points in their outings. Appearing in their first Club World Cup, the Eagles dominated their matches and remain unbeaten in the tournament. They secured a 2-2 comeback draw with Boca Juniors on the opening day and followed it with a 6-0 thrashing of Auckland City and a convincing 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in their last outing.
Meanwhile, Chelsea started their campaign with a 2-0 win over MLS side Los Angeles FC in their tournament opener but fell 1-3 to Flamengo in their second outing. Enzo Maresca’s side then bounced back to pick up an impressive 3-0 victory over ES Tunis and finished second in Group D, just one point behind leaders Flamengo.
These two teams last met in the finals of the Europa League in 2013, where Chelsea stunned the Eagles with a 90th-minute goal to seal the match 2-1.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Where to watch Benfica vs. Chelsea: Live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this FIFA Club World Cup match in the U.S.:
TV channel: None
Live stream: DAZN
This game is not available for live TV broadcast in the United States.
For fans who prefer to stream on the go, the tournament will also be shown live on DAZN.
All of the 63 matches throughout the tournament will be on DAZN and new users can sign up to watch every game for FREE.
Benfica vs. Chelsea start time
- Date: Saturday, June 28
- Time: 4:00 p.m. ET | 1:00 p.m. PT
Benfica vs. Chelsea will kick off at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 28, from the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, USA.
Benfica vs. Chelsea predicted lineups, team news
Striker Andrea Belotti is back from his two-game suspension, so Bruno Lage will have to decide between him and Vangelis Pavlidis to lead the line. They also get left-back Alvaro Carreras from an early yellow card ban, so he fills back in for Samuel Dahl.
Gianluca Prestianni will need to be assessed after being withdrawn early in the second half amidst the scorching Charlotte heat, while 37-year-old Angel Di Maria may need a rest ahead of a potential fourth straight start in a short span.
Orkun Kokcu, who was furious at being substituted against Auckland and had a row with the coach, and after reports that the issue has been put to bed, he came off the bench for a half-hour against Bayern.
Benfica predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Trubin (GK) — Barriero, Silva, Otamendi, Dahl — Aursnes, Sanches — Di Maria, Prestianni, Schjelderup — Belotti.
Injured: Florentino
Suspended: None
Enzo Maresca used the group stage to tinker and experiment with combinations, but he should switch back to his best lineup in the knockouts with huge prize money on the line. After Filip Jorgensen got a chance in goal in the group finale, Robert Sanchez should return between the sticks.
With Nicolas Jackson still suspended for his red card against Flamengo, Liam Delap is likely to continue up front in the striker role. The new Chelsea signing scored his side’s second goal in the 3-0 win over Esperance to conclude group stage play.
The only Chelsea absences are Omari Kellyman and Wesley Fofana who not with the group as they recover from long-term injuries.
Chelsea predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — James, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella — Caicedo, E. Fernandez — Neto, Palmer, Madueke — Delap.
Injured: Fofana, Kellyman
Suspended: Nicolas Jackson
FIFA Club World Cup fixture schedule this week
All times ET
Saturday, June 28
- Palmeiras vs. Botafogo (12:00 p.m.)
- SL Benfica vs. Chelsea FC (4:00 p.m.)
Sunday, June 29
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Inter Miami CF (12:00 p.m.)
- Flamengo vs. FC Bayern München (4:00 p.m.)
Monday, June 30
- Inter Milan vs. Fluminense FC (3:00 p.m.)
- Man City vs. Al Hilal (9:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, July 1
- Real Madrid vs. Juventus (3:00 p.m.)
- Borussia Dortmund vs. CF Monterrey (9:00 p.m.)
