Tuesday's briefing: Chelsea a Samba step away from Club World Cup final spot
Maresca relishing selection dilemma
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca is confident he will find the right answers to the selection problems he is facing for their Club World Cup semi-final.
The Blues take on Brazilian side Fluminense in New York on Tuesday for a place in Sunday's final.
Striker Liam Delap and defender Levi Colwill are both suspended after receiving their second bookings of the tournament in the quarter-final win against Palmeiras.
Midfielder Romeo Lavia has not recovered from a muscular problem and the fitness of captain Reece James continues to be monitored after a knock.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference at the MetLife Stadium, Maresca said: 'I think in the last game we had Romeo out, Moi (Caicedo) out, Reece out and we found a solution with Andrey (Santos) playing in midfield. Now with Levi and Liam out, we will find different solutions.'
Spain close in on quarter-finals
World champions Spain closed in on the quarter-finals of Euro 2025 with a convincing 6-2 win over Belgium in Thun.
Alexia Putellas had put Spain in front in the 22nd minute, only for Justine Vanhaevermaet to swiftly equalise when she nodded in from a corner.
Defender Irene Paredes powered in a header of her own to restore Spain's lead just before half-time, but Hannah Eurlings had Belgium level again shortly after the restart.
Esther Gonzalez's angled drive then quickly restored Spain's lead in the 52nd minute and Arsenal midfielder Mariona Caldentey added a fourth on the hour from close range after a corner.
Claudia Pina curled in a fine 20-yard strike and Putellas then clipped home her second with four minutes left.
Musiala undergoes 'successful' surgery
Jamal Musiala has undergone successful surgery on the serious injury he sustained during Bayern Munich's Club World Cup quarter-final defeat to Paris St Germain.
The 22-year-old fractured his fibula and broke and dislocated his ankle after a collision with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma during the 2-0 win for the French side in New Jersey.
Despite fears Musiala could miss the majority of next season, Bayern issued a statement intimating they were optimistic for a speedier return.
Bayern's statement read: 'He (Musiala) will begin his first rehabilitation sessions tomorrow, Tuesday and will be unavailable to the German record champions for the next few months.'
What's on today
Chelsea face Fluminense in New Jersey with a place in the final of the inaugural Club World Cup at stake.
Germany face Denmark and Poland meet Sweden in the women's European Championship, while Champions League qualifying gets under way with Welsh champions The New Saints taking on Shkendija of North Macedonia.
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The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘I was confused' – Cole Palmer and Reece James open up on Donald Trump's Club World Cup celebrations with Chelsea stars
COLE PALMER and Reece James were left confused after Donald Trump celebrated with them as they lifted the Club World Cup. Chelsea won the tournament by beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 on Sunday, with Palmer on target twice before laying on an assist for Joao Pedro to add a cheeky third before half-time. 4 4 4 4 But as the Blues geared up for the trophy lift ceremony, they were threatened with being upstaged by US President Trump. The 79-year-old was seen handing out many of the medals alongside Fifa president Gianni Infantino, before the pair lifted the trophy over to Chelsea captain James. However, while typically political figures would be expected to exit the stage at that point to give the team their moment to shine, Trump remained alongside the team with a beaming smile. Trump appeared to be gestured away from the stage initially by Infantino, before James, 25, was seen asking him, "Are you staying?" The Republican had also inadvertently blocked the view of Golden Ball winner Palmer, who had a confused look on his face as he was also seen asking James, "What's he doing?" Speaking after the game, Palmer, 23, and James both admitted they were surprised about the turn of events. Palmer told the BBC: "I knew he was going to be here but I didn't know he was going to be on the stand when we lifted the trophy so I was a bit confused, yeah." Captain James added to Sky Sports: "Before they told me he (Trump) was going to present the trophy and then exit the stage. "Then I thought he was going to exit the stage but he wanted to stay." Following the game Trump revealed he had a good time, and joked he would even consider signing an executive order to change America's naming of "soccer" to football for next summer's World Cup. Club World Cup final crowd's reaction to Donald Trump This summer's Club World Cup served as a preamble for the coveted international tournament next summer, which Fifa estimate will see 6.5 million visitors to stadiums across the US, Canada and Mexico. Trump's appearance at the MetLife stadium was met by a mixture of applause and boos by the crowd, exactly one year on from the assassination attempt he survived in Pennsylvania at an election rally.
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Palmer's casually jaw-dropping Club World Cup final show propels him into big time
The billboards dotted around New York had it right: Cole Palmer really is scary good. He sat at the Top of the Rock on Saturday, peering over Manhattan as part of a promotional shot with Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé, and he was on top of the world on Sunday. He mooched around the pitch at a gobsmacked MetLife Stadium, playing as if he was having a kickabout with his mates, and he destroyed PSG. We're playing the European champions, are we? And they beat Real Madrid 4-0 the other day? Fine. I'll just score two identical goals midway through the first half. Then I'll come up with an outrageous assist to put us 3-0 up just before half-time. Will that do? This was a jaw-dropping performance from Chelsea's No 10. This was Palmer launching himself into global superstardom with an almost casual destruction of PSG. He has starred in finals before but this was on another level. Palmer bent the first final of Fifa's expanded Club World Cup to his will, shattering any concern over whether the Premier League's fourth best being crowned world champions diminishes the tournament, and has ended any debate over whether he is up there with the best in the world. PSG were stunned. They are the team of the moment, up there with the most accomplished since Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, but Chelsea believed this was their time. 'Who said that?' Enzo Maresca had asked when it was suggested his players would have to survive long spells without the ball? In the event, though, Chelsea's head coach was bluffing a little. His young side stuck to their promise to play, not to park the bus, but they were not gung ho and knew exactly how to target PSG's weak points. Minute one: Robert Sánchez goes long. Chelsea were ready to be direct and bypass the ferocious PSG press. They have been more vertical in recent months, Maresca's approach more flexible, and their tactics rattled PSG, who were smothered and unable to deal with being turned around time and again. This was a triumph for Maresca, who will go into next season confident that Chelsea are ready for their Champions League return. He added ballast in midfield by putting Reece James in with Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo. João Pedro, scorer of three in three matches since joining just before the quarter-finals, was an effective foil as a No 9. Pedro Neto tracked Achraf Hakimi's raids. But Chelsea also moved the ball quickly when they won it and their setup liberated Palmer, stationed in an inside-right role and busy discombobulating Nuno Mendes. And so to the 22nd minute. There was another precise long kick from Sánchez, who kept aiming for the right, where Mendes was struggling. Malo Gusto, offering boundless energy from right-back, got the better of the PSG left-back. Gusto had a shot blocked. Better, he thought, to find Palmer. The 23-year-old had already whipped one effort narrowly wide; this time he took a touch, used Marquinhos as a shield and feathered a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma with his left foot. PSG were on 60% possession at that stage. Not once were they comfortable, though. They were strangely unfocused, summed up by the moment when Désiré Doué passed up an easy chance to shoot at 0-0. Dembélé was the Barça Dembélé. Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha and João Neves were outplayed by Caicedo – how amazing to think his participation was in doubt because of an ankle injury. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion PSG's discipline disappeared as full time approached, Neves sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair. Chelsea played as a collective. The scoffing about their youth-driven project feels dated now. Chelsea will not allow themselves to think it is job done, even after putting a gold badge on the shirt for the next four years and almost £100m in the bank during their month in the US, but they will take immense confidence from suffocating PSG. Everybody contributed. Sánchez made saves. Trevoh Chalobah roared after one perfect tackle on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. There was more outrageousness from Palmer in the 29th minute, a little shimmy, a sway of the hips, time standing still. Gusto, with a decoy run, took PSG's centre-backs out of the equation. The movement was synchronised but it still took individual quality to make it work. Palmer obliged, clinically rolling another shot past Donnarumma. It was all so insouciant, so smooth. Palmer is stronger than he looks, his wiry frame holding off defenders, his feet so quick. Hard work goes with the nutmegs, brilliant feints and subtle passes. Palmer earns the right to play. He drifted inside again on 42 minutes, weighed up the opposition and slipped João Pedro through to dink Donnarumma, the final over before it had started. Cole Palmer FC, the term used to imply Chelsea were a one‑man team, is not the insult it once was.
Powys County Times
32 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Reece James delighted as Chelsea make ‘big statement' with Club World Cup win
Reece James felt Chelsea made 'a big statement' to their rivals by producing a major upset to beat Paris St Germain in the Club World Cup final. Cole Palmer scored two brilliant goals and created a third for Joao Pedro – all in the first half – as the Blues shocked the Champions League winners, who were seeking a fifth trophy of the season, to win 3-0. After a turbulent few years at Stamford Bridge following the takeover of 2022, it provided further evidence of a Blues revival after the Conference League triumph in May. 'I think for sure we are moving in the right direction, winning this trophy against such good opposition,' said Chelsea captain James. 'So it's a big statement. 'I'm happy with how much the club has progressed and how next season you know we'll be competing in the Premier League, to win the title and compete and to go far in the Champions League as well. 'I think this showed how far our club has come. We've had a difficult few years, not competing in the Champions League. 'This was the best team we faced and we knew it was going to be tough but the team was ready, and I think we showed that.' Chelsea had been written off in many quarters before the game with PSG, who famously thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final in May, having routed Real Madrid 4-0 just four days previously. Yet their victory was thoroughly deserved and Palmer had already gone close to scoring before taking charge of the game with his quickfire double of goals scored in the 22nd and 30th minutes. He then set up Pedro, the £60million signing who only joined the club mid-tournament, for his third goal in the last two games before half-time. There was no way back for the Ligue 1 champions, whose frustration was compounded late on as Joao Neves was sent off for a petulant tug on Marc Cucurella's hair. Tempers boiled over as scuffles broke out after the final whistle and one involving PSG coach Luis Enrique ended with Pedro on the ground. There was a further surreal postscript as United States President Donald Trump, there to present the winners with the trophy, decided to stay on stage to join Chelsea's celebrations. Yet while that made for a peculiar ending to the tournament, James' main thoughts were on his achievement and what could come next. 'It's amazing for me,' said the 25-year-old, who has overcome a series of injury setbacks. 'Since I was a little boy I supported this team. 'I just wanted to play for this club. Just once would have been enough for me, so to captain the team and to lead them to two trophies this season, it's been a dream for me. 'We beat the champions of Europe. For sure it gives us confidence and I am looking forward to the future.'
