Enzo Maresca and Luis Enrique are both seeking sublime season cusps when Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain meet in Sunday’s Club World Cup Final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The managers for the Blues and Les Parisiens can cap their 2024-25 seasons with the first championship of the expanded Club World Cup era while also setting the table for the 2025-26 campaigns by sending a clarion call to Europe, warning of their intentions for the upcoming season.
MORE — Chelsea vs PSG: Club World Cup Final preview
PSG would put the finishing touch on a run for the ages, as Enrique’s crew have won everything on offer to this point and done so in fantastic style aside from a slow start to the Champions League’s league phase. Enrique has perhaps too-quietly produced a resume most bosses can only deliver in video games.
But Maresca at 45 has become a star himself, leading Leicester City to the Premier League before delivering the Conference League to Chelsea.
So which boss might outfox the other on Saturday? And which players will they choose to match up with their CWC Final foe?
Chelsea predicted lineups for the Club World Cup Final
There isn’t a lot of real risk for surprise here, especially with Noni Madueke away from the club.
We’ll pick Reece James over Malo Gusto and assume Trevoh Chalobah starts over Tosin Adarabioyo next to Levi Colwill.
Moises Caicedo has seemingly passed a fitness test and will slide into the midfield with Enzo Fernandez.
One surprise we night predict is Joao Pedro and Liam Delap both starting, with Pedro Neto going to the right wing and Pedro going to the left side.
Sanchez
James— Chalobah— Colwill — Cucurella
Caicedo — Fernandez
Neto — Palmer— Joao Pedro
Delap
PSG predicted lineups for the Club World Cup Final
There is little reason to believe Enrique will change anything at all about his team.
We present the best unit available to him:
Donnarumma
Hakimi — Beraldo — Marquinhos — Mendes
Vitinha — Neves — Ruiz
Doue — Dembele — Kvaratskhelia
