As part of their pre-season preparations, Chelsea are set to take on Club America in an exciting friendly match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday, July 31.
Both teams are looking to fine-tune their squads and strategies ahead of their respective domestic campaigns, with the Mexican side already 4 games into their league campaign.
Chelsea Aiming for Improvement | Blues to Win: 1.75
Chelsea's pre-season journey has been a mixed bag so far. They began with a 2-2 draw against League One side Wrexham, in a match that highlighted both their potential and areas needing improvement.
Their subsequent 4-1 defeat to Celtic exposed defensive frailties, despite Christopher Nkunku’s late penalty giving them a consolation goal. New manager Enzo Maresca, who took over on July 8, will be keen to address these issues and build cohesion within the team before their league starts and this game would be the perfect opportunity.
Club America Seeking Consistency | Eagles to Win: 4.10
Club America have already been engaged in competitive matches with the Liga MX season underway. Their form has been inconsistent, with two wins and two losses from their first four matches.
They recently secured a 2-1 victory over Juarez, demonstrating their potential but also highlighting areas for improvement, especially in away matches where they have struggled and as winners of the league last season, if they are to defend the title, they would have to start showing it with their performances and what way to do that than against English Premier League giants Chelsea.
Key Players & Team News:
For Chelsea, players like Tosin Adarabioyo, Nkunku, Malo Gusto, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Raheem Sterling are expected to feature prominently as Maresca experiments with his line-up. Carney Chukwuemeka, who has played extensively in the previous matches, might get some rest.
Club America, on the other hand, will rely on their key players from the Juarez match, with Rodrigo Aguirre pushing for a start after scoring as a substitute. They will face Chelsea with a mostly strong line-up, although Jardine may rotate his squad to manage player fitness, especially with a match against Aston Villa just three days later.
Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw: 3.90
Chelsea have had the upper hand in games against CF America with three (3) consecutive wins (2-1, 2-0, 2-1). | Specials Market: Home/Draw & Over 2.5= 1.92.
America has won three (3) of their last five (5) games, in all competitions demonstrating their capabilities to hurt the opposition. | Specials Market: Draw/Away & Yes= 2.75
There have been over 2.5 goals in all of Chelsea’s last five (5) games while for Club America there have been over 2.5 goals in four (4) of their previous five (5) games. | Specials Market: Over 2.5 & Yes = 1.79
You can check out the Chelsea vs CF America game on MSport here.
