The second set of group matches get underway at the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday when we see the eight teams in Group A and B once again with each side looking to put themselves in a position to make it through in the last group match.
That means that we get to see the European champions Paris Saint-Germain once again while Lionel Messi and friends will also light up what is a very good schedule to keep us entertained for well over 10 hours.
Thursday’s fixtures are as follows: (UK kick off in brackets; All matches on DAZN)
Palmeiras vs Al Ahly (17.00)
Inter Miami vs Porto (20.00)
Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid (23.00)
Paris Saint-Germain vs Botafogo (02.00)
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Preview
We begin the day in Group A where the South American challengers Palmeiras and the African powerhouse Al Ahly meet. The opening matches in this section were both drawn 0-0 so if there is a winner in this one then that team will be in a good position to make it through to the next round but the losers will still have a chance. That is the case in Atlanta in the second game of the day where in the same section Inter Miami will look to strengthen their qualification chances when they go up against a Porto side who are looking to show they merit being in this competition.
We move into Group B for the second half of the action on Thursday evening beginning at Lumen Field where the Seattle Sounders will look to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament so far when they go up against Atletico Madrid. Both sides lost their first game so they know they have to win this to have a respectable chance of reaching the knockout stage. We then conclude in the same section as the European champions Paris Saint-Germain face a Botafogo side who fell over the line in their opening game but are in a good position to qualify if they can avoid a battering here.
Betting
When Group B began the two European sides looked a league above the other two teams and I expect that to play out over the course of Thursday night. Atletico Madrid is the first of those in action and I’m a little surprised that they only have a 1.25 goal handicap to cover here. Seattle probably should have got something from their match against Botafogo but this is a whole different level to that and it doesn’t make much sense judging the Madrid chances in this game on their loss to Paris Saint-Germain in their opener. Ultimately, the Spanish side have elite level attackers and a defence which when not outmatched is tough to break down. Seattle have conceded eight goals in their last three matches, all against inferior opposition to what they face here and with the tournament on the line for Atletico I expect them to win this and be safely too good for the Sounders.
The same can be said for Paris Saint-Germain the closer to the day. They sizzled with class in the opening match against Atletico Madrid and with a win here ensuring that they are through with a match to spare and offer up the chance to rotate heavily for their last match, which after a long season would be welcomed, I don’t expect the Champions League winners to make any mistakes here. Botafogo conceded 23 shots to Seattle in their opening game and a 2.20 xG tally and if they defend like that here it will get messy very quickly. PSG will defend the aerial threat that Botafogo provide much better than Seattle did so expecting the French side to win this by two or more looks more than achievable. Luis Enrique could probably rest a couple of players and PSG still have too much so take the Europeans to win with a bit in hand here.
Tips
Back Atletico Madrid (-1.25AH) to beat Seattle Sounders for a 3/10 stake at 1.98 with Bet365
Back Paris Saint-Germain (-1.5AH) to beat Botafogo for a 3/10 stake at 1.82 with William Hill
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