Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly prediction: WORLD: FIFA Club World Cup betting tips on match 2023-02-03 17:00.
Courtesy of their 3-0 demolition of New Zealandâs Auckland City in Tangier, CAF Champions League (CAFCL) runners-up Al Ahly have booked themselves a second round meeting with CONCACAF champions Seattle Sounders at the same venue. Seattle are the only one of the seven participants at this Club World Cup (CWC) to be making their debut appearance, and will be hoping for some âbeginnerâs luckâ to help them reach the semi-finals.
Seattle already defied the odds just by making it to Morocco, not only as the first non-Mexican club to win CONCACAFâs elite club competition since 2005 but also as the first MLS team to participate in the CWC! This competition may have come at a remarkably inopportune time for the Sounders however, as theyâre nearly four months into their off-season after failing to make the MLS postseason for the first time in their 15-year existence.
Along with the advantage of match fitness, Egyptâs Al Ahly are riding the crest of the longest undefeated streak of any current CWC participant, with their first round win over Auckland their 22nd competitive match without defeat (W18, D4). Swiss manager Marcel Koller hailed an âimprovedâ second half as part of a âdeservedâ result and has vowed to study videos of his upcoming opponents leading up to the match, though Seattleâs tactics could be vastly different after spending four weeks exclusively preparing for this tournament.
As a late qualifier for this tournament, courtesy of 2022 CAFCL winners Wydad Casablanca taking the host nation slot, Al Ahly are striving to reach the semi-finals of the tournament for a third straight time, most recently disposing of Mexicoâs Monterrey (1-0) in the second round of the 2021 edition.
Players to watch: Seattle captain NicolĂĄs Lodeiro has ample experience at global events as a Uruguay representative at two FIFA World Cups, and led the way last MLS season by contributing to more goals (G7, A7) than any of his teammates. Al Ahly have a danger man of their own in the form of Mohamed Sherif, after his second-half strike against Auckland marked three consecutive competitive appearances in which he has netted.
Hot stat: Al Ahly have accumulated six clean sheets from their last seven competitive outings (W6, D1).