Club WC 25 Quarter-Finals Preview
With the Round of 16 over, the Club WC quarter-finals are up next, and we’ve got some truly fascinating encounters to look forward to. Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming football action!
PSG and Real Madrid are odds favourites to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament, but there’s still a lot of work to be done for all teams involved. Newly crowned CL champions PSG are hoping for a cheeky CL and WC double, whereas Palmeiras and Fluminense are hoping to bring the trophy back to Brazil. The first quarter-final to kick off is Fluminense – Al-Hilal, with both teams dreaming of an unexpected place in the semi-finals. Let’s take a closer look at all the matches!
Fluminense vs. Al-Hilal
Camping World Stadium, Friday @ 21:00 CET
This is the first time these two teams ever face each other, and the winner will be rewarded with a spot in the semi-finals, where the winner of Palmeiras – Chelsea awaits. The first quarter-final of the tournament lacks a clear favourite, with both teams probably feeling optimistic about their chances of progression.
Fluminense held Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw in their opener, before comfortable beating Ulsan 4-2. Their final match of the group stage was a 0-0 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns, before they caused a bit of an upset in the Round of 16, winning 2-0 against Inter.
They have to make do without their left-back Rene, who picked up his second booking of the tournament against the Italians, so he will miss out on this one with a suspension. They will still be able to field a very strong side, though, with Thiago Silva, the former PSG and Chelsea defender, captaining the team.
Al-Hilal caused a major upset when they knocked Man City out in the Round of 16, ensuring a trophyless season for the English club. The team, led by Simone Inzaghi who arrived just before the tournament started, drew against Real Madrid (1-1) and RB Salzburg (0-0) before beating Pachuca 2-0 in the group stage matches.
Marcos Leonardo has been one of their star players so far with 3 goals to his name already. Now he is hoping to help his team to another win and a semi-final against Palmeiras or Chelsea. The squad boards plenty of talent, though, with Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo also predicted to start the match for Al-Hilal.
It’s a tough one to predict, but both teams know that they’re only 2 wins away from a Club WC final, so you can expect both teams to give it their all Friday night!
Palmeiras vs. Chelsea
Lincoln Financial Field, Saturday @ 03:00
Palmeiras had to overcome their Brazilian rivals Botafogo in the Round of 16, whereas Chelsea needed extra-time to beat Benfica, eventually running out 4-1 winners.
The Brazilians drew 0-0 against Porto, before beating Al Ahly 2-0 and drawing 2-2 against Inter Miami in the group stage. A 1-0 win against Botafogo was enough to seal the win in the last round, but it did come at a cost, as central defender and captain Gustavo Gómez is suspended after a red card, and Joaquin Piquerez is suspended due to two yellows. In addition to this, Murilo is also in doubt due to injury, so the defense is looking shaky.
The newly crowned ECL champions from London beat LAFC 2-0, lost 1-3 to Flamengo before wrapping up the group stage with a 3-0 win over ES Tunis. Their Round of 16 match against Benfica was an entertaining one, finishing 1-1 after normal time before Chelsea went on to win 4-1 after extra time.
Chelsea will have to make do without form player Moises Caicedo, who picked up his second yellow card of the tournament against Benfica, while Badiashile is a major doubt due to injury.
Palmeiras are hoping to become the second Brazilian team to beat Chelsea this tournament, but Chelsea are odds favourites in this one.
PSG vs Bayern Munich
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday @ 18:00
This all-European quarter-final is a must-watch, with the newly crowned CL champions up against the German giants from Munich. The winner of this one will face off with the winner of Real Madrid – Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, so there’s a lot at stake here.
PSG came into the tournament with plenty of confidence, hammering Atlético Madrid 4-0 in their opening match, before losing to Botafogo and beating Seattle Sounders. They had no problems knocking Inter Miami out in the Round of 16 with a 4-0 thrashing.
Dembele played his first minutes of the tournament against Inter Miami, so could be a starter in this one. PSG are slight favourites in this one, but Bayern Munich will be aiming for a win against the team they beat in the CL final in 2020.
Bayern Munich played the opening match of the tournament, beating Auckland FC 10-0, before a 2-1 win over Boca Juniors and a 0-1 loss to Benfica in the group stage.
The German side are happy with Musiala coming on from the bench in their last match, so they will be hoping he can make an impact against PSG. They beat Flamengo 4-2 in the Round of 16, ensuring this spicy quarter-final match against the French champions. Alphonso Davies is still out for Bayern Munich with a long-term injury.
Real Madrid – Borussia Dortmund
MetLife Stadium, Saturday @ 22:00 CET
Due to a yellow card for Jobe Bellingham in the Round of 16, we won’t get to see the two brothers facing each other in this one, but there’s still plenty to look forward to in the last quarter-final match on the fixture list.
Real Madrid drew 1-1 in their opener against Al-Hilal, before winning 3-1 against Pachuca and 3-0 against RB Salzburg. They beat Juventus 1-0 in the Round of 16, but they could’ve won by a bigger margin if not for the heroics of Juventus goalkeeper Di Gregorio.
Despite Jobe Bellingham not playing, it’s a special occasion for his older brother, who will play his former German club for the third time after his transfer to Real Madrid. The Spanish side are big odds favourites, but Borussia Dortmund should never be underestimated.
Borussia Dortmund opened this tournament with a 0-0 draw against Fluminense, before beating Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3. A 1-0 win over Ulsan was enough to see them through to the Round of 16, where they beat Monterrey 2-1.
As mentioned, Bellingham is out with a suspension, and the Dortmund fans will be hoping Guirassy continues banging in the goals up front. The Guinea international has 3 goals so far, though a lot of the players ahead of him in the top scorer standings are already out.
No matter the outcome of these four matches, we’re in for some thrilling matches!
Please note that the odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last updated: 02.07.25
