The third day of the 2025 Club World Cup kicks off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Chelsea and Los Angeles FC face off in the opening match of Group D. The Londoners, buoyed by their success in the Conference League, start as favorites against an American team that, despite making its debut in the tournament, has shown signs of growth on the continental stage. In this guide, you’ll find analysis, data, and the best odds for responsible betting.
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Monday will mark the first time an English team has faced an American side in the history of the Club World Cup. The new, expanded format of the tournament immediately offers some interesting matchups, and both Chelsea and Los Angeles FC will be looking to secure their first three points ahead of the clash between Flamengo and Espérance Tunis, scheduled at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Chelsea have yet to take to the field since their Conference League final victory over Real Betis, while Los Angeles FC are now well into their domestic season. The Black and Gold Falcons have had a mixed start to the league and are currently nine points behind Vancouver Whitecaps, who are top of the Western Conference. After being knocked out in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Californian club has had to take a long, hard look at its performance.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are full of enthusiasm thanks to a brilliant finish to the 2024/25 season. Three days before their triumph in Wroclaw, Enzo Maresca’s side secured a place in the Champions League by narrowly beating Nottingham Forest, who are in the running for Europe.

We have analyzed the data and odds markets from bet365, Planetwin 365, and GoldBet to provide you with a selection of interesting tips ahead of Monday’s clash in Atlanta.

Chelsea – Los Angeles FC, Monday 16 June at 9pm

Betting tips Chelsea – Los Angeles FC

Chelsea to win and both teams to score – odds of 1.67 on bet365, 1.65 on and 1.65 on GoldBet

Over 3.5 goals – odds 2.10 on bet365

Moisés Caicedo will be booked and Sergi Palencia will commit two or more fouls – odds 7.00 on bet365

Odds courtesy of bet365, Planetwin365 and GoldBet. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.

Chelsea-Los Angeles FC: World Cup veterans against ambitious debutants

Given their recent performances in FIFA’s most important international tournament, Chelsea are undoubtedly the favorites for Monday’s highly anticipated match.

Thanks to their triumph in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, Chelsea qualified for the 2012 edition of the Club World Cup in Japan. Despite their semi-final victory over Mexican side Monterrey, the Blues were unable to prevent Corinthians from winning their second Club World Cup title.

However, Chelsea would avenge this defeat just over a decade later in the Middle East. The Londoners overcame Saudi hosts Al Hilal in the last four to set up another showdown with their Brazilian opponents. This time, Kai Havertz’s coolly taken penalty in extra time ensured Chelsea returned to Stamford Bridge with another piece of silverware.

In stark contrast to their English opponents, LAFC have never participated in a Club World Cup. Furthermore, Steve Cherundolo’s men were the last team to qualify for this year’s revamped version of the competition, having overcome Liga MX leaders Club América in a playoff after Club León were excluded.

Los Angeles FC has nevertheless shown several positive signs in recent times. The Californians secured a place in the Club World Cup playoffs after finishing second (with Club León) in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, having lost the final of the same competition to MLS rivals Vancouver Whitecaps three years earlier. Another blow came midway through last season when Columbus Crew scored two late goals against Hugo Lloris to deny Los Angeles FC their first Champions Cup title.

Chelsea, fresh from winning the Europa Conference League, are clear favorites against Los Angeles FC, but beware: the American debutants could offer more resistance than expected.

Tip: Chelsea to win and both teams to score – priced at 1.67 on bet365, 1.65 on and 1.65 on GoldBet

Explanation: if Chelsea wins and both teams score, the bet is a winner.

Should we expect youth to prevail over experience?

It is clear that Enzo Maresca has a lot of faith in the young players in his squad, given that the average age of Chelsea’s starting eleven in the 2024/25 campaign was the youngest in Premier League history.

After celebrating his 23rd birthday just weeks before the end of the season, Cole Palmer embodies the youthful exuberance of Maresca’s rapidly improving side. The England international recorded 15 goals and eight assists in 37 Premier League appearances last season, helping to propel Chelsea to UEFA Champions League qualification. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and predatory striker Erling Haaland are the only Premier League players to have contributed more direct goals than Chelsea’s number ten in the last 18 months, while the Egyptian international narrowly beats Palmer in the shooting charts. The talented Englishman fired 126 shots on target last year, four fewer than Premier League top scorer Salah.

Despite usually operating in a deep midfield role, Enzo Fernández – who at 24 is entering his prime – has been the main source of creativity for the Blues in recent times. The Argentine maestro has recorded an impressive 14 assists in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, while Palmer is the only Chelsea player to have created more big chances.

English football fans will recognize a couple of names leading the charge for LAFC: compatriots Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris will be looking to add another international trophy to their personal trophy cabinets. Gabonese Denis Bouanga is also a key figure in Cherundolo’s team, while the loan signing of Cengiz Ünder has already proved to be a masterstroke. However, the Turkish playmaker will miss at least the first two games of the Club World Cup through injury.

However, the omens are not good for Los Angeles FC’s tried-and-tested former Premier League duo. In 23 previous appearances against Chelsea, former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has kept a clean sheet on only three occasions, conceding 12 defeats. Should the 2024 U.S. Open Cup winners take all three points on Monday afternoon, it would be only the Frenchman’s fifth victory against the Blues.

Olivier Giroud enjoyed some important years at Stamford Bridge, scoring 39 goals and winning two European trophies in three and a half seasons. However, his personal record against the Londoners is far from impressive. The 2017 Puskás Award winner has found the net just once in 16 games against Chelsea: they are the only team he has faced at least ten times without scoring at least two goals. Perhaps it’s time to break the spell?

Although younger than 38-year-olds Lloris and Giroud, former Saint-Étienne striker Denis Bouanga is approaching the twilight of his career. However, the 30-year-old has been a revelation at BMO Stadium, leading the club’s scoring charts in each of the last two seasons.

In 2025, Bouanga has continued his scoring streak, with eight goals in 15 league appearances and three goals in LAFC’s run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals. No player has attempted more shots on target in MLS this season: Bouanga has 36 from 78 total shots, surpassing even Messi, who is ten behind. Could he be the man to make the difference for LAFC in this Club World Cup?

Tip: Over 3.5 goals – odds 2.20 at bet365, not available at Planetwin365 and GoldBet

Bet explanation: The bet wins if there are four or more goals in the match.

Cards and fouls: watch out for Maresca’s Chelsea

While the Black and Gold Falcons boast a relatively good disciplinary record, the same cannot be said for Maresca’s tenacious Chelsea.

The Blues received more yellow cards than any other Premier League participant last year, collecting a hundred cautions over the course of the campaign. Over 10% of those cautions were handed to combative midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who committed a total of 70 fouls. Two Chelsea players have been booked during the 2024/25 campaign: Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson received red cards against Brentford and Newcastle respectively.

Considering Chelsea’s overzealous approach and the fact that MLS opponents have already committed a whopping 206 fouls against Los Angeles FC players so far, match officials are expecting a busy afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday. Although the Americans have committed only 194 fouls, a small handful of players are responsible for most of these infractions. Spanish full-back Sergi Palencia tops the Los Angeles FC list of bad boys, with 30 fouls committed by opponents in MLS and four yellow cards. David Martínez has also been booked four times during the 2025 season, despite playing only 681 minutes.

Tip: bet builder – Moisés Caicedo to be booked and Sergi Palencia to commit two or more fouls at 7.00 on bet365

Bet explanation: This bet will only win if Moisés Caicedo receives a yellow card and Sergi Palencia concedes at least two free kicks.

Chelsea – Los Angeles FC odds

Chelsea to win – odds of 1.29 on bet365, 1.25 on and 1.27 on GoldBet

Draw – odds of 5.25 on bet365, 5.25 on and 5.00 on GoldBet

Los Angeles FC to win – odds of 11.00 on bet365, 9.25 on and 9.00 on GoldBet

The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.

The best betting bonuses for the Club World Cup

The Club World Cup is an interesting opportunity to place your bets. On Flashscore, you can find an updated selection of the main promotions and active bonus codes, useful for optimizing your bets with the offers from the leading bookmakers.

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