Flamengo vs Chelsea tips:
Chelsea are back in action at the Club World Cup in the US on Friday when they face Flamengo looking to secure their place in the knock-out stages.
Enzo Maresca’s side won their opening game of the tournament on Monday, beating Los Angeles FC 2-0 in a largely empty stadium.
Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez were both on target to send Chelsea top of Group D in front of just 22,137, although all that seemed visible were empty seats as the stadium holds 71,000 spectators - but what can be expected when the game kicked off at 3pm on Monday afternoon!
There should be a bigger crowd on Friday, despite a local kick off time, in Philadelphia, of 2pm but the Brazilian side are likely to have a strong contingent of travelling fans.
Flamengo also sit on three points after their opening game when they beat ES Tunis also 2-0, thanks to goals from Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Araujo.
After the first round of matches, football betting sites have Chelsea as fifth favourites to lift the trophy behind Paris St-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, who crushed Aukland City 10-0 in their opening game.
Flamengo vs Chelsea betting: Blues to make it two wins from two
Flamengo will offer more of a challenge than Los Angeles FC and they currently sit top of the Brazilian La Liga after 11 games, having won seven, drawn three and lost just once.
There will also be at least one familiar face on show after former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Jorginho recently signed for them. He assisted in their second goal for Araujo just as the Blues new signing Liam Delap did for Fernández.
He had only been on the pitch for 15 minutes, on his debut, after signing from Ipswich Town, before he crossed from the right for his new teammate to tap in from close range.
Betting sites are offering just 4/5 on Chelsea to make it two wins out of two in the US, while you can get 7/2 on a Flamengo win and 3/1 on a draw in the latest Club World Cup odds.
This one might not be quite as straight forward as their opening game, with the South American flair and the addition of Jorginho who would love to remind Chelsea and their fans what he is capable of!
Flamengo vs Chelsea prediction 1: Chelsea to win and both teams to score - 5/2 Bet365
Flamengo vs Chelsea tips: Delap to open his account
If Monday’s performance was anything to go by then Chelsea have got a bargain in Liam Delap, who cost just £30m from Ipswich Town, despite showing just what he can do in the Premier League in a struggling side.
The 22-year-old scored 12 goals and assisted with two in 37 league games, and he already has an assist for his new side on his debut.
As well as crossing for Fernandez he also went on two mazy 25-yard runs and was unlucky not to provide another goal.
If he can continue that kind of form on Friday, then you wouldn’t bet against him opening his account for his new side and betting apps have him at 11/2 to score first or last and 21/10 to score at any time.
He came off the bench in the first match so the last goal might be the better option but 21/10 odds are a solid option to consider and then it doesn’t matter whether he starts or not.
Flamengo vs Chelsea prediction 2: Liam Delap to score at any time - 21/10 BetMGM
Please gamble responsibly
When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.
Betting can be addictive and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.
Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control.
But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
