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Chelsea vs Palmeiras predicted XI: 3-4-3 to bring home Club World Cup?

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 23: Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga applauds the fans after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on January 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 23: Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga applauds the fans after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on January 23, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) /
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – FEBRUARY 09: Yasser Al-Shahrani of Al Hilal SFC and Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Semi Final match between Al Hilal and Chelsea FC at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on February 9, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – FEBRUARY 09: Yasser Al-Shahrani of Al Hilal SFC and Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea during the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Semi Final match between Al Hilal and Chelsea FC at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on February 9, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images) /

Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right wingback, Spain

Cesar Azpilicueta played well against Al Hilal and he created Chelsea’s only big chance of the night. The Blues will definitely want his leadership on the pitch. He is a win away from winning the complete set of club trophies at Chelsea, having won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and Super Cup already. Azpilicueta is now just one step away from winning the FIFA Club World Cup too after his decade in west London.

N’Golo Kante (No. 7) Central midfielder, France

N’Golo Kante plays against Palmeiras for sure. He is another Chelsea player that is very close to winning the complete set of major club trophies for the Blues. He’s yet to win a Carabao Cup though, but he will get the chance to win one at the end of this month. Kante led every player on the pitch in interceptions—in fact, two more than the next person—despite coming on at halftime. He did lose all his nine contested duels except for one though.

Mateo Kovacic (No. 8) Central midfielder, Croatia

Mateo Kovacic was Chelsea’s better central midfielder against Al Hilal in the Club World Cup semifinal. His passing and dribbling were superb, as expected, but he didn’t do much in the way of defending. The Croatian got dribbled past twice, making no successful tackles during his time on the pitch. Kovacic will be key to Chelsea keeping control of the midfield though, as he’s the best passer in the Blues’ ranks in the middle of the park.

Malang Sarr (No. 31) Left wingback, France

For a number of reasons, Malang Sarr is likely to return to the line-up. One reason is that Marcos Alonso did not have a good game against Al Hilal. Another is that Sarr has been brilliant every time he’s played for Chelsea this season. Sarr deserves so much credit for his performances as he was on the fringes of the team at the beginning of this season. Sarr has done nothing to lose the spot he gained before the game against Al Hilal, so he likely comes back into the starting XI.

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