Club World Cup final: Chelsea need more from Lukaku and Palmeiras fans can play their part

Palmeiras will bid to end Europe’s monopoly on the Club World Cup when they face Chelsea in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.

Sides from Europe have won the last eight editions. Coincidentally, the last time that sequence was broken was when Chelsea lost to a side from the same city as their opponents this weekend. Corinthians, city rivals of Palmeiras in Sao Paolo, beat them 1-0 in the 2012 final in Japan.

If it is difficult to ascertain quite how importantly Chelsea regard this competition, the same is not remotely true of their opponents. Palmeiras’ bus was mobbed when leaving home earlier this month, and they have been followed to the UAE by thousands of supporters.

Will the trip home be a happy one?

“He fought very hard and tried very hard. He gave everything, that is why the chances all the time came to him.”

That was the view of Zsolt Low, the Chelsea assistant coach, on Romelu Lukaku’s performance in the semi-final against Al Hilal.

Which suggested one of two things. Either he was watching a different game. Or he was keen not to rock the boat during his short stint as Thomas Tuchel’s locum, with the manager absent due to Covid.

Lukaku did return to goalscoring ways against the Saudi giants. A tap in after a defensive botch gave him his second goal of 2022 – the other coming against non-league side Chesterfield.

But to suggest he “gave everything” is stretching the truth. There should be plenty left in the Belgian striker’s tank for the final. Whether he deigns to give it remains to be seen.

Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea celebrates after scoring against Al Hilal. EPA

Edouard Mendy has been training in Abu Dhabi having arrived from Senegal national duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Tuchel is understood to be considering