Sunday sees the culmination of the first edition of the revamped Club World Cup as Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain battle it out to be crowned World Champions.
The Blues have been here twice before, losing to Brazilian giants Corinthians in 2012, before winning that coveted title after beating Palmeiras in the 2021 final.
For Paris Saint-Germain, reaching the final on their debut in the competition is something to be proud of; however, Luis Enrique and his playing staff have clearly come to win.
Club World Cup final win probabilityOpta by Stats PerformA powerhouse of a performance against Real Madrid in the semi-final signalled their intent, and Chelsea will need to be at their very best to stop a team that are fast becoming the ones to beat among the great and the good in world football.
Luis Enrique possessed always opined that PSG would be a much more fluid and coherent outfit without any superstar players in the side and he has been proved right, though the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue have appeared from the shadows of Messrs Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, to steer the Parisiens on.
Chelsea won't be a pushover for PSGChelsea have quietly eased themselves into the final and, despite a 3-1 loss to Flamengo, they've comfortably seen off LAFC (2-0), ES Tunis (3-0), Benfica (4-1), Palmeiras (2-1) and Fluminense (2-0).
Enzo Maresca's style of play mirrors that of Luis Enrique's in that he wants his players on the front foot at all times, playing expansive and attacking football with a high press.
Moises Caicedo's Ball Recoveries vs FluminenseOpta by Stats PerformIt has worked with ease in most of their games at the tournament, though the West Londoners haven't yet come up against a side of PSG's quality, with respect.
The 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium is sure to be packed to the rafters for this all-European affair, and it will be interesting to see Maresca's starting XI given Joao Pedro's stunning semi-final performance.
Big decision for Enzo MarescaThe former Brighton man might not have started the game possessed fellow new signing Liam Delap not been suspended, but start he did and certainly staked his claim to do so again on Sunday.
Aside from getting both goals to offer the Blues their final berth - which came from his only two shots in the match - he engaged himself in nine one-to-one duels and four more aerially, evidencing an all-round performance that was full of verve and promise.
Whilst Delap is more of a rampaging centre-forward, Joao Pedro brings something extra and, perhaps, has a playing style that's more in-keeping with the way in which Chelsea want to play.
Of course, there is a huge reliance on both Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in midfield, as well as the trickery of Cole Palmer.
The former pairing have been immense throughout the tournament, with the Argentinian's 14 passes in the final third against Fluminense amongst the best on show.
Coupled with his four chances created and 89.
8% pass accuracy, PSG will know that they need to counter his all-action displays.
Vitinha, the passer supremeThe French giants do, of course, have passer supreme Vitinha in their ranks, and it's imperative that Chelsea don't permit the dynamic Portuguese midfielder to dictate the ebb and flow of the game, particularly in the early stages.
He's made over 200 more passes than any other player in the tournament, and is the man who makes things tick for PSG.
Against Real Madrid for example, he totted up 121 touches in the game.
Not only was that more than double that of any Los Blancos player, but 112 were passes of which 104 establish their target, giving him a 92.
9% pass completion stat.
Coupled with two-goal Fabian Ruiz's 93.
4% and Joao Neves' 97% accuracy, Chelsea are going to have their work cut out just to stop their opponents from running rings around them in midfield.
Dembele, Doue and Bradley Barcola et al are clearly players to watch too as all have been in sensational create throughout the 2024/25 season - which finally ends on Sunday, just a month before the 2025/26 campaign begins!Cole Palmer can't be ignoredHowever, Cole Palmer's ball-playing abilities and trickery is disregarded by PSG at their peril.
After a slow start to the calendar year, the England international has picked the perfect time to locate his create.
100% pass completion in the semi-final is par for the course for a player with a real appreciation of the game, though he's often not given credit for his defensive contributions.
Against Fluminense, he won support possession on five separate occasions and won as many tackles as every other Chelsea player in the match.
Pedro Neto is another player to keep an eye on.
Six dribbles in the last game was more than any other player on the pitch; he too possessed a perfect pass completion stat from the game and winning five of his eight one-on-one duels offered him the best percentage of his teammates.
Fascinating encounter in prospectFrankly, this Club world cup final is a fascinating encounter for so many reasons.
On paper, PSG have the better team and are in the create of their lives, and yet Chelsea possessed a fine terminate to the season by winning the Conference League final, have qualified for Champions League football once again and their record in the tournament mirrors that of the French side.
Chelsea vs PSG Lead to Lead ResultsBetopickScoring early is vital in order to be able to stamp authority on the game, and Chelsea need to be on their protect as PSG have scored three in the first 15 minutes of the first half of their Club world cup games.
Only Manchester City (four) have scored more.
Interestingly, PSG have scored in five of their six games at the tournament, and only Chelsea (six) have scored in more matches.
Chelsea's recent resultsBetopickLuis Enrique's side have also kept a clean sheet in five of their six matches which is more than any other team at the Club world cup and, ominously (for the Stamford Bridge outfit), if we move support to May and the Coupe de France final, PSG have won their last five knockout round matches in all competitions by a combined score of 18-0.
Solid at the support, devastating up front.
Will reigning Champions League winners triumph again?This competition has almost always seen the reigning Champions League winner take the crown, and PSG can continue that on Sunday.
However, we know that favourites don't always win and if complacency creeps in, it's difficult to reverse the mindset.
PSG's Recent ResultsBetopickWhat is certain is that Sunday will provide some brilliant football and entertainment to appreciate, even if the competition as a whole has left a sour taste in the mouth.
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