21:00 Saturday

Chelsea and Benfica face off at the Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte in a crunch Club World Cup last 16 clash. It is their first meeting since the 2013 Europa League final.

The Blues finished second behind Flamengo in the group stage, while Benfica topped a group featuring Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors.

After his straight red card in the defeat to Flamengo, Nicholas Jackson remains suspended. Many first teamers were rested in the win over Tunis, so expect players like Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella to return to the side. Benfica have a full squad to call upon.

 

Benfica vs Chelsea Bet Builder Tips

My Bet Builder tips for Benfica vs Chelsea features Angel Di Maria Over 1.5 Shots, Over 0.5 Fouls and Marc Cucurella over 1.5 Tackles.

At the time of publishing it is a best price of 3/1 with bet365.

Below you can find explanations for each of my selections.

Angel Di Maria Over 0.5 Fouls

After leaving Benfica in 2010 for Real Madrid, Angel Di Maria returned to the Portuguese giants in 2023. It was recently announced that the 37-year-old would join Argentinian side Rosario Central at the end of this summer’s tournament, so Saturday could mark the Argentine’s last appearance in an As Aguias shirt.

Di Maria wears his heart on his sleeve and is seen as the star man in this Benfica side.

 

He is determined to leave the Portuguese capital having delivered one final piece of silverware. After failing to make a foul in the opener against Boca Juniors, Di Maria made two fouls in the thrashing of New Zealand amateurs Auckland City, before making an infringement in the dogged 1-0 win over German champions Bayern Munich.

The 37-year-old is likely to line up on the right side of Benfica’s attack, meaning he will be tasked with defending against the marauding Marc Cucurella who has been fouled three times in 180 minutes at the Club World Cup so far. He will also look to double up on Noni Madueke – a player fouled 1.04 times per 90 this season.

Angel Di Maria Over 1.5 Shots

It is not just defensive responsibility that Di Maria will be tasked with. Going forward, he is seen as his sides primary attacking outlet – registering 26 goal contributions this season – including three in the tournament so far. He has averaged 3.61 shots per 90 this campaign, including two against Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors and six vs Auckland.

Marc Cucurella Over 1.5 Tackles

As mentioned, he has a tough battle against Marc Cucurella who will look to frustrate him. The Spaniard is averaging 2.05 tackles per 90 this season.

Five of the last six left backs to face Benfica have made at least two tackles, for an average of over three tackles per game.