The second group stage matches of the Club World Cup begin on Thursday with the tied group A up for grabs, while PSG or Botafogo can secure their place in the knockout phase with a win in Group B. Here is your predictions for all the action.
Palmeiras vs Al Ahly
(Thursday in New York City)
Al Ahly earned a lot of respect with their opening match draw against Inter Miami, the scoreless game in Miami saw their fans get vocal, and they did miss a penalty that would have put them ahead of the home side, as both teams missed some moments, but overall the Egyptian side were defensively sound.
Palmeiras will be frustrated by their scoreless draw against Porto in this same stadium, they missed numerous chances to take a lead and they did outplay Porto without a result. This is a Palmeiras side that are trying to play into form and get better as the tournament goes on. The midfield was the star for Palmeiras, as Colombian international Richard Rios caught a lot of attention, while future Chelsea talent Estevao was also recognized by pundits and fans. Former Barcelona transfer Vitor Roque is still looking for his first goal, and he could well get it, as Palmeiras simply put more talent on the field than Al Ahly. They should get on the scoreboard and secure a precious three points in matchday 2. Prediction: Palmeiras 2 Al Ahly 0
Inter Miami vs FC Porto
(Thursday in Atlanta)
Inter Miami’s goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was the star of the show in matchday 1 against Al Ahly, he saved a penalty and made some other match saving saves to give Lionel Messi’s team a fighting chance of advancing from this group. However, Messi’s failure to lead his team to an opening matchday victory means that the path out of this group gets much harder with European side Porto next, and Palmeiras in the decider on matchday 3.
Rodrigo Mora and Porto also needed magic defensively to avoid defeat on match day 1 with goalkeeper Claudio Ramos the star. Their most threatening forward was former Arsenal man Fabio Vieira. Speaking frankly, it’s widely acknowledged in Portuguese football circles that this is the worst FC Porto team in years, but the badge still carries weight, Messi’s Inter Miami are still fighting for respect globally. Players like Fafa Picault put in a good shift for the pink herons and they will still believe they can advance from this group.
Some Messi magic could help them stave off defeat, but the Inter Miami side has a history of struggles in Atlanta’s stadium, playing a defensively high line is dangerous, and Porto are still UEFA quality, rather than a side limited by the MLS salary cap. Prediction: Porto 3 Inter Miami 1
Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid
(Thursday in Seattle)
Seattle Sounders outplayed Botafogo in the second half but lacked a finishing touch, they lost 2-1 at home, and now they take on an Atletico Madrid side that has zero room for error after they were thrashed 4-0 by PSG in Los Angeles. Atletico Madrid looked listless in the LA heat, but two of the goals did come late in the game, and Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth both had clear scoring chances.
The frustration of Atletico Madrid fans is palpable, but the odds of them getting grouped in this tournament remains low. Cristian Roldan was the goalscorer for the Sounders, Albert Rusnak also put in a good shift, but this Sounders squad lacked the quality to press their advantage. Antoine Griezmann has continued to struggle for Atletico Madrid, will he and his teammates wake up for this game? It feels likely, as the gap in quality should be evident. Prediction: Atletico Madrid 4 Seattle Sounders 1
PSG vs Botafogo
(Thursday in Los Angeles)
PSG put on a clinic against their primary group opposition, Atletico Madrid, this is the best team in the world right now, and they look scary. Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Senny Mayulu, and Lee Kang-in were the goal scorers for the French and European Champions. Botafogo scored twice against Sounders and did secure three points, but they struggled to be organized in the second half and are simply not in good form. While either team can qualify for the knockouts with a win, PSG are the heaviest of favorites, they play a brand of football that would take a well oiled machine to stop, and that’s not the current version of Botafogo. Prediction: PSG 5 Botafogo 0
Main Photo Credit: Copyright: xJosexBretonx Imago Images
