The inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup reaches its climax this Sunday night and as things stand, it’s not a matter of who will win, but rather whether Chelsea can devise a plan to prevent their total destruction at the feet of a rampant PSG.
The match is included in several TAB soccer bets on the day and there are various good matches and cash-added TAB soccer bets to keep you entertained before that, starting with a R150,000-added Soccer 10 tonight which includes two of the last group games in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland.
Then tomorrow there’s a guaranteed R18-million Soccer 13 jackpot in the event of only one outright winner and a R75,000-added Soccer 6, plus a R100,000 carryover Soccer Any 13 Xtra, in which you get to choose your own matches. Last weekend’s Soccer Any 13 Xtra saw two TAB customers bank nearly R100,000 each and there are prospects of a mega dividend again.
And on Sunday there’s a carryover Soccer 13 that’s set to total some R4 million, as well as a cash-added Soccer 4.
Getting back to Sunday’s final, PSG are finally delivering what their Qatari owners and fans have long craved. They won Champions League for the first time this season with a 5-0 annihilation of Inter Milan at the end of May and are now on the verge of becoming world champions - a title many will question because the Club World Cup does not include all the current best teams in the world.
That’s because participation in the tournament does not take into account performances in the season just ended, but rather in the three seasons before that.
Be that as it may, PSG have got better and better under coach Luis Enrique this year with big names like Neymar, Messi and Mbappe having been jettisoned in favour of creating a team as opposed to an assortment of superstars. Enrique has worked wonders and his players’ movements off the ball give rise to darting attacks that have unravelled Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
Chelsea have had a much easier run to the final and have not faced a side remotely close to the quality of PSG in this competition or in winning the Europa Conference League before that.
Yes, Chelsea have improved under Italian coach Maresca and have looked good in this tournament with the likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and new signing Joao Pedro particularly impressive. But it’s doubtful if they will be able to contain PSG’s assaults on goal, which come at high speed from anywhere on the pitch, and their best hope appears to be that the French champions have an off night.
PSG are currently 33-50 favourites to triumph in the final with the 90-minute draw 17-5 and a Chelsea win at around 9-2.
Wins by PSG and the English women’s team rank sound bankers in Sunday’s TAB soccer bets. Best bets for Friday are home wins by Waterford, Bohemians and the Spanish women’s team against Italy. Saturday’s top bets are home wins for Bodo/Glimt, Flamengo, Malmo and Minnesota, while Denmark’s women’s team should notch an away victory against Poland.
| M1 | Aldosivi vs Central Cordoba | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| This pool gets a R150,000 bonus kick-start from TAB, so stand by for a big pool that could pay big! Aldosivi are unbeaten in their last three games, while Cordoba have lost six of their last 10. Cordoba won the last meeting 1-0 in January and finished three points ahead of Aldosivi in the Apertura section of the Argentine premier league from January to June. | |||
| M2 | Bohemians vs Galway United | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Bohemians have won six of their last 10 games and are third in the Irish Premier Division table, nine points ahead of seventh-placed Galway. Bohemians won the last clash with Galway 2-1, their eighth victory in the last 15 matches against Galway. | |||
| M3 | Bray Wanderers vs Dundalk | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Bray are on a two-game winning streak in the Irish First Division, while Dundalk have avoided defeat in nine of their last 10 league matches. The last meeting between them ended 2-2. Dundalk currently head the league with 49 points, nine ahead of third-placed Bray after 22 games. | |||
| M4 | Treaty United vs Cobh Ramblers | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Ramblers have won seven of their last 10 games and are second in the First Division table, 15 points ahead of fourth-placed Treaty, who are winless in their last four. Ramblers won the last meeting 2-1. | |||
| M5 | UC Dublin vs Finn Harps | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| UCD are unbeaten in their last three games, while Harps are unbeaten in their last five. UCD won the last meeting between them 2-1 in May and are fifth with 30 points, seven more than Harps. | |||
| M6 | Waterford FC vs Cork City | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Waterford have lost two in a row and Cork are winless in their last 10 Irish Premier Division fixtures. Cork won the last meeting 2-1 in April, but are 10th and 12 points behind Waterford on the log. | |||
| M7 | Italy Women vs Spain Women | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Italy are unbeaten in their last five games, drawing 1-1 with Portugal recently. Spain are on a seven-match winning run and slammed Belgium 8-2 this week. The last meeting between them was a friendly and ended 1-1 in October last year. In the last 10 meetings over 28 years, Italy have won four times, Spain three times and there have been three draws. | |||
| M8 | Portugal Women vs Belgium Women | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Portugal are winless in their last seven games, including a 5-0 defeat to Spain. Belgium have lost eight of their last 10, most recently when beaten 6-2 by Spain. Belgium won the last meeting between them 3-0 in a UEFA Women's Nations League fixture this year. In eight meetings over the last 12 years, Belgium have won five times and Portugal twice with one draw. | |||
| M9 | Vila Nova vs Operario FC | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Vila Nova have lost seven of their last 10 games, while Operario have lost four of their last six league fixtures. Vila Nova won the last meeting between them 3-2 away from home last year and are seventh on the Serie B log with 22 points, five more than 14th-placed Operario. | |||
| M10 | CA Talleres vs San Lorenzo | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Talleres have lost six of their last nine games, while San Lorenzo are winless in their last three. San Lorenzo won the last meeting between them 1-0 in January and finished fourth in the Apertura section of the premier division in Argentina, 14 points ahead of Talleres. | |||
Suggested R96 perm: 1,2 x 1 x 3 x 3 x 1,2 x 1 x 3 x 1,2,3 x 1,2 x 2,3.
| M1 | England Women vs Wales Women | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| England bounced back from a 2-1 defeat by France to beat Netherlands 4-0, their third victory in their last six games. Wales have a draw and five defeats from their last six, including a 3-0 loss to Netherlands. England beat Wales 3-0 in their last clash seven years ago and could give the Welsh more of the same here. | |||
| M2 | Netherlands Women vs France Women | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Netherlands had won three times in five games before a 4-0 drubbing by England this week. France are on a 10-game winning sequence that includes beating England 2-1 in their penultimate match. France won the last meeting with Netherlands 1-0 three years ago. | |||
| M3 | Nigeria Women vs Algeria Women | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Nigeria are unbeaten in their last 12 games in all competitions, while Algeria have won five of their last six. Nigeria won the last match against Algeria 4-1, but that was a friendly. | |||
| M4 | Chelsea vs PSG | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Final of the Club World Cup. Chelsea have maximised the easier side of the draw and progressed to the final with a 2-0 victory over Brazilian Serie A outfit Fluminense. Champions League victors PSG confirmed their claims to being the best team in the world with a 4-0 massacre of Real Madrid in the other semi-final. The French champions are hard to oppose here. | |||
| M5 | Argentinos Juniors vs Boca Juniors | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Start of the Clausura section of the premier division in Argentina. Argentinos have lost only one of their last 10 matches, while Boca have won four and drawn three of their last 10. The two teams topped the Apertura league in the first half of the year, but both were defeated in the quarter-finals in the knockout stage. | |||
| M6 | Corinthians vs RB Bragantino | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Corinthians are winless in their last four games, while Bragantino have won six of their last 10. Bragantino are third in the Serie A league, seven points ahead of 10th-placed Corinthians. | |||
| M7 | Saint Louis FC vs Portland Timbers | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| St. Louis City are winless in five games, while Portland Timbers have avoided defeat in seven of their last 10 matches. Portland Timbers won their last meeting 2-1 and are currently fourth in the MLS table, 18 points ahead of 14th-placed St. Louis City. | |||
| M8 | Pachuca vs Monterrey | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Liga MX clash in Mexico. Pachuca lost all three group games at Club World Cup, whereas Monterrey made it to the round of 16, in which they lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund. Pachuca won the last meeting between the two sides 2-1 in April. | |||
| M9 | Fortaleza EC vs Ceara | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Fortaleza are winless in their last seven games, while Ceara have lost three of their last four. Ceara are 12th in Brazil’s Serie A with 15 points, five ahead of 18th-placed Fortaleza. | |||
| M10 | CA River Plate vs CA Platense | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| River Plate have won six of their last 10 games in all competitions, while Platense are unbeaten in their last five. The teams last met in May, drawing 1-1. River Plate finished second in Apertura, eight points ahead of Platense, but their rivals went on to win the knockout stage and the trophy. | |||
Suggested R36 perm: 1 x 3 x 1,2 x 3 x 1,2,3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 1,2,3 x 3.