Al Ahly vs Flamengo RJ prediction: WORLD: FIFA Club World Cup betting tips on match 2023-02-10 15:30.
The FIFA Club World Cup third-place play-off will be contested by two non-European sides for the 18th consecutive edition, as Egyptian giants Al Ahly face off with Flamengo of Brazil. The African outfit are more than familiar with this stage, having finished third in each of the last two tournaments, and could become the first side to achieve that feat for a third time in succession.
The Red Devils showed plenty of fight in their semi-final defeat to Spanish and European champions Real Madrid, with the 4-1 scoreline perhaps flattering Los Blancos as they netted twice in second half stoppage time. Self-belief is unlikely to have been dented by that defeat, given that Al Ahly were unbeaten in 23 games prior to that defeat (W19, D4).
Flamengo gear up for a first-ever meeting against Egyptian opposition looking to finish third in this competition for the first time in their history. Their route into this contest was far more dramatic than Al Ahly, as the Scarlet-Black conceded two penalties and had a player sent off in a shock 3-2 defeat against Al Hilal.
That was another disappointing setback for Vitor Pereira’s men, after a 4-3 defeat in the Supercopa do Brazil against Palmeiras in late January. The Flamengo boss is bound to be concerned with his side’s defending of late, with the seven goals conceded in their last three outings as many as in their eight games prior.
Players to watch: Al Ahly midfielder Afsha finding the back of the net has been a seriously good omen down the years, as he’s lost just once in his career when getting on the scoresheet (W35, D9). Flamengo, meanwhile, are likely to be reliant on Pedro, as he’s netted all of his side’s last four goals, three of which arrived after half-time.
Hot stat: This will be Al Ahly’s fifth appearance in the third-place play-off, at least three more than any other side.