Chelsea will play Mexican club Monterrey in the semi-finals of the club world cup in Japan on Thursday.
Monterrey will play the European champions after beating South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai 3-1.
African champions Al-Ahly, who beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima of Japan, 2-1 to set up a last four meeting against South American victors Corinthians.
The club World Cup is contested between the winners of FIFA’s six confederations plus a host nation team.
Monterrey is the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association football (Concacaf) champions.
Coach of Monterrey did state that if his boys can play as they played against the Asian champions in their game against Chelsea, perhaps they will have a chance of making it to the final.
Chelsea who were last week knocked out of this Season’s Champions League despite thrashing Nordsjaelland 6-1 in their final group game but followed it with a 3-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday, their first win in eight Premier League outings should be in good shape to face the Mexican side.
Interim Blues manager Raphael Benitez, who took over from Roberto Di Matteo in November, is hoping to use the club world cup to change his team’s fortunes and possibly win the heart of the Chelsea fans.
Benitez lost in the final of the competition with Liverpool in 2005 but won it five years later with Inter Milan after taking over at Inter from Jose Mourinho.
Past winners of the club World Cup:
2000 – Corinthians (Brazil)
2005 – Sao Panlo (”)
2006 – International (”)
2007 – Ac Milan (Italy)
2008 – Manchester United (England)
2009 – Barcelona (Spain)
2010 – Inter Milan (Italy)
2011 – Barcelona (Spain)
