South American powerhouse Flamengo and African heavyweights Esperance Tunis square off in Philadelphia on Monday, both looking to get off to a strong start in their Club World Cup campaigns.
The Tunisian teams are outsiders, especially since Chelsea is also competing for a top-two finish in Group D, but Fla is one of several Brazilian teams hoping to make it all the way.
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Flamengo captain Gerson celebrates a goal on September 15, 2024
Flamengo, arguably the biggest club in Brazil, has won two continental titles in the last six years and has the financial resources to compete on multiple fronts every season.
The Rio team has won the Copa Libertadores three times overall, and their most recent victory qualified them for the Club World Cup, which FIFA has redesigned.
Despite not having won the Campeonato Brasileiro since 2020, Fla is currently leading the Serie A standings thanks to an outstanding start and is on course to win their domestic championship for the eighth time.
Head coach Filipe Luis continues to impress with his team’s high-pressing, risk-taking style, and they have scored 24 goals from 11 games, their most at this point in the season since 2008.
After finishing his playing career at Flamengo, the former Atletico Madrid defender is now responsible for leading the Rubro-Negro to a global club final. He had an impressive start to his tenure as manager.
Six years ago, Fla finished second to Liverpool in the previous Club World Cup format, and they famously defeated the Reds 3-0 in the 1985 Intercontinental Cup.
Although they hope to go the full distance this time, a mistake on Monday might force them to leave early.
Esperance, Flamengo’s opening opponents, secured their spot in the USA by virtue of being the top-ranked eligible club in Africa’s four-year ranking, even though Flamengo qualified as the 2022 Copa Libertadores winners.
The Tunisian team will be the underdog in Group D after making three appearances in the previous format and winning just one of six games, against Qatari club Al Sadd in 2019.
They have more top-flight titles than any other team, including eight of the last nine, but they are dominant on the domestic scene.
Les Sang et Or’s continental credentials are undeniable, as they have won four CAF Champions League trophies to date and were defeated by Egyptian rivals Al Ahly in the previous year’s final.
Maher Kanzari’s team has won nine of their last ten games in all competitions, keeping eight clean sheets. The coach’s midseason comeback also helped the team win its first league and cup double in fourteen years.
To compete with Chelsea, LAFC, and Flamengo for a spot in the Club World Cup knockout stages, which would be one of their greatest accomplishments, they must now step up a notch.
Flamengo form in all competitions: W D W W W W
Esperance form in All competitions’: WWD WWW
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Team News
With one of South America’s best teams at his disposal, Filipe Luis has a lot of options for Monday’s match.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta, the Uruguayan playmaker, should be at the forefront of a strong attack led by Pedro, the striker for Brazil. In just nine league games this season, the latter has contributed 13 goals, scoring an impressive 9 out of 10 shots on goal.
Even though Jorginho just joined the Rio club, Gerson, who is scheduled to depart for Zenit St Petersburg after the tournament, is probably going to join rising star Evertton Araujo in midfield. The former Italy player is one of several seasoned men with a wealth of European experience, along with former Juventus players Danilo and Alex Sandro.
Nicolas de la Cruz has missed training and might only play again on Friday against Chelsea, while Ecuadorian winger Gonzalo Plata has been cleared to play in Philadelphia.
Six months after sustaining a serious knee injury, Yassine Meriah, the center-back and captain of Esperance, has finally returned.
Algerian forward Youcef Belaili, who has 15 goal involvements in the top flight of Tunisia and the same number in the CAF Champions League, will be the main source of inspiration for Les Sang et Or up front.
Yan Sasse, a Brazilian winger who scored ten goals last season, will now face well-known opponents; Rodrigo Rodrigues, a fellow countryman, should lead the attack.
Flamengo possible starting lineup: Rossi; Wesley, Ortiz, Danilo, Sandro; Gerson, Evertton; Araujo, De Arrascaeta, Michael; Pedro
Esperance possible starting lineup: Memmiche; Bouchniba, Jelassi, Meriah, Ben Hamida; Guenichi, Konate, Ogbelu; Sasse, Rodrigues, Belaili