SL Benfica take on Chelsea FC in a Round of 16 match of the FIFA Club World Cup at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on June 28th, 2025, at 21:00 GMT.
According to our football stats available across our website, Chelsea and Benfica have gone head-to-head three times in UEFA competitions, with Chelsea coming out on top in every match. This includes their memorable encounters in the 2011–12 Champions League quarter-finals and the 2013 Europa League final, both of which secured major titles for the Blues.
In total, Chelsea netted five goals while Benfica managed two, with no draws in sight. The two teams are gearing up to clash once more in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, marking their first competitive meeting since 2013.
Liam Delap scored his first goal for Chelsea when they played against Espérance Sportive de Tunis in their final group match, which will put him in confident mood ahead of this encounter.
SL Benfica come into this match with slightly stronger form than Chelsea, having not lost any of their group matches. This means that the star-studded Chelsea team could find the Eagles to be tricky opposition.
Match Preview
SL Benfica FIFA Club World Cup form:
- CA Boca Juniors: 2-2 (D) 16/06/2025
- Auckland City FC: 6-0 (W) 20/06/2025
- FC Bayern Munich: 1-0 (W) 24/06/2025
Chelsea FC FIFA Club World Cup form:
- LAFC: 2-0 (W) 16/06/2025
- CR Flamengo: 1-3 (L) 20/06/2025
- Espérance Sportive de Tunis: 3-0 (W) 25/06/2025
Team News
Benfica could be without Tomas Araujo, Alexander Bah and Manu Silva due to various injuries. That is likely to mean that the Portuguese giants will field an unchanged starting line-up from the 1-0 win over Bayern Munich last time out.
As for Chelsea’s team selection. Jackson will serve the last of his two-game ban. The forward expressed his sorrow via social media to the Chelsea fans when he wrote: “I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card, and honestly, I’m so angry at myself. I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation. I still don’t fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn’t intentional. Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility. I’ll reflect, I’ll grow, and I’ll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”
This will probably mean that Liam Delap will start in attack following his first goal for the Blues in Jackson’s absence. Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, and captain Reece James are all anticipated to rejoin the starting lineup after taking full rests.
SL Benfica possible starting lineup:
Anatoliy Trubin; Samiel Dahl, Antonio Silva, Nicolas Otamendi, Fredrik Aursnes; Leandro Barreiro, Renato Sanches; Angel Di Maria, Gianluca Prestianni, Andreas Schjelderup; Vangelis Pavlidis
Chelsea FC possible starting lineup:
Filip Jorgensen; Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia; Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Christopher Nkunku
We say: SL Benfica 1-2 Chelsea FC
We expect a narrow win for the Blues with Liam Delap on the scoresheet in a second consecutive game. Benfica will push Chelsea to the very end, so a possible penalty shootout might also be on the cards.
