Club World Cup: Palmeiras awaits Al Ahly or Monterrey in the semifinals

Chelsea and Palmeiras, representatives of Europe and South America, are the headliners of the FIFA Club World Cup, which starts on Thursday in Abu Dhabi and where the English and Brazilian clubs will start next week directly in the semifinals.

In the last eight editions of the tournament, the champion has been European, so Chelsea is under pressure to maintain that hegemony of the UEFA zone.

Blues fans remember their previous participation in the competition, in 2012, when they were defeated by a Brazilian team, Corinthians (1-0), in a final played in Tokyo.

It is the only one of the last fourteen editions of the Club World Cup that has not had a European champion.

Palmeiras also has a thorn in the Club World Cup: last year they failed, falling first in the semifinals with Tigres de México and then in the duel for third place against Egyptian Al Ahly.

Now Palmeiras dreams of lifting the trophy and emulating what Corinthians (2000, 2012), Sao Paulo (2005) and Internacional de Porto Alegre (2006) have achieved.

These Brazilian formations are the only ones that have prevented a European coronation in the Club World Cup, a substitute for the emblematic Intercontinental Cup.

Palmeiras could even see themselves in the semifinals with Al Ahly, provided that the experienced Egyptian team -seven appearances in the Club World Cup- eliminates this Saturday in the quarterfinals the Mexican Monterrey, who will seek the first world title for his country , after Tigres brushed against him a year ago with the runner-up.

A key February for Tuchel

Chelsea will start in the semifinals against the winner of the other quarter-final, which will face Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) against the winner of the preliminary round, which is played on Thursday by the local Emirati Al Jazeera and Tahiti Pirae.

For the London team, this Club World Cup can serve as a balm. In the English Premier League he is off the leader Manchester City, who have ten more points and one less game played.

February is key for Chelsea and for their manager Thomas Tuchel. At the end of the month they will also face Liverpool in the English League Cup final and before that they will face the decisive part of the defense of their European title with the start of the duel against French Lille in the round of 16.

A month therefore very important to know what are the prospects this season for Chelsea. A season without titles could put at risk the continuity of Tuchel, the man who guided the Blues to their second Champions League.

In the January market, Chelsea has had a discreet role. A possible arrival of the Frenchman Ousmane Dembelé (FC Barcelona) was rumored, but it was not finalized.

But before taking the plane to Abu Dhabi, Chelsea have another commitment on Saturday in England, against Plymouth Argyle (3rd category) in the round of 32 of the FA Cup. (D)