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Danyal Khan

Brazilian legend Rivaldo has told Chelsea what to expect from Palmeiras in Club World Cup final

Brazilian legend Rivaldo has predicted that Palmeiras could 'take advantage' of Chelsea's shortcomings in the FIFA Club World Cup final as they are more of a 'focussed' team this season.

Both sides progressed to Saturday's showpiece by defeating sides in the form of Al Hilal and Al Ahly respectively.

However, the Brazilian side were able to net two against their Egyptian counterparts whilst a sole Romelu Lukaku goal was just about enough for the current European Champions to make it through.

The difference in ease between the two semi-finals will be of some concern to Chelsea fans, who are hoping that their side can complete the clean sweep of titles under Roman Abramovich's ownership.

But, Rivaldo has predicted a few difficulties for Thomas Tuchel's men against a 'focussed' Palmeiras outfit who will be looking to seal the crown as they and their 15,000 travelling fans at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium view this competition as their own Champions League final.

"Palmeiras seem to have learned from their mistakes in last year's Club World Cup producing a solid performance in their 2-0 semi-final win against Al Ahly," Rivaldo said to Betfair.

"They were comfortable throughout, looking controlled in every department in what was a solid overall performance.

"The team must have learned from their bad performances in last year's tournament. They were more focused, cutting back on any errors that Al Ahly could take advantage of.

"So, Palmeiras will be confident in the final against Chelsea. They will believe it's possible to beat the Europeans in a single match."

It's easy to forget that if it wasn't for Kepa Arrizabalaga and his defensive compatriots in the semi-final, then the outcome of the game could have been a lot different and Rivaldo himself has backed Abel Ferreira's side to 'take advantage' of these deficiencies and weaknesses that the Saudis couldn't punish in the end.

He explained: "The Club World Cup favourites suffered when beating Al-Hilal 1-0 and even gave up a few big chances in the second half.

"Of course, Chelsea is a great team that is chasing their first CWC title after losing to Corinthians in 2012, and just like Palmeiras, they should be focused for Saturday's final.

"But Palmeiras could take advantage of Chelsea's poor form to claim the title and I think they have a real chance of winning this.

"Actually, while Chelsea are odds-on to win the game, I would say there is no favourite. This is two big teams clashing for a trophy and anything can happen in 90 minutes. Palmeiras have a good chance of becoming the next World Champion."

Chelsea assistant Zsolt Low was also quick in recognising the calibre of opposition that will be up against his side in the UAE.

He admitted in his pre-match press conference: "We know a lot about Palmeiras. We watch a lot of games of the team. We know they win the last two times the Copa Libertadores. We expect a very difficult game, a good opponent. The fans we know. Thiago and Kenedy talk about how good the fans are. We expect a lot of them there tomorrow.

"It can be like an away game for us but we're well prepared. We know the opponent. They are strong but we are also strong."

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