Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
On Monday, June 16, Chelsea and Los Angeles will kick off their journey in the FIFA Club World Cup. I have full confidence in the level of European football, so my recommendation is to bet on the total goals in this match.
Chelsea vs Los Angeles: match preview
The London side enters the tournament after an impressive 2024/2025 season. Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League and lifted the UEFA Conference League trophy, thrashing Real Betis 4-1 in the final. Under Enzo Maresca's management, the team has shown a potent attack, averaging two goals per game over their last ten matches, while also staying solid defensively with just eight goals conceded during that stretch.
Los Angeles booked their ticket to the tournament by defeating Mexico's Club América in the play-in, snatching victory in extra time.
Steve Cherundolo's squad is in excellent form, with their last defeat coming back in April. Since then, they've played ten matches, recording five wins and five draws.
LA's games are always entertaining and high-scoring affairs: the last ten matches have seen an average of 3.8 goals per game.
Key facts and head-to-head
This will be the first-ever meeting between these teams
Chelsea have lost only twice in their last ten matches, notching up eight wins
Los Angeles are among the most entertaining sides in MLS: their matches have featured 53 goals in 16 games.
Probable lineups
Chelsea: Robert Sánchez, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Benoît Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Chukwunonso Madueke, Pedro Neto, Nicolas Jackson
Los Angeles: Hugo Lloris, Sergi Palencia, Eddie Segura, Aaron Long, Ryan Hollingshead, Timothy Tillman, Igor Jesus, Mark Delgado, Jeremy Ebobisse, Denis Bouanga, Olivier Giroud
Prediction
This match promises fireworks and plenty of goals. Chelsea are in fine form, and the standard of European football still surpasses the American league. Still, I believe Los Angeles will manage to find the net, given their high-caliber attacking talent. My bet is on total goals over 3 at odds of 1.75.
