Diogo Jota's tragedy could directly affect Palmeiras

The clash between Palmeiras and Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup, scheduled for Friday (04), at 10 pm (Brasília time), promises to attract a lot of attention, both on and off the field. So far, more than 40 thousand tickets have been sold for the duel at Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia, which indicates that more than half of the stadium's total capacity, which holds 70 thousand people, will be occupied.

However, Chelsea's preparation for the match was marked by a significant setback. Striker Pedro Neto, the team's main player in the competition, was released from training after being shaken by the tragic death of Diogo Jota and his brother in a car accident. The Portuguese player did not participate in training on Thursday (03) and his stay in the United States is still uncertain. If his absence is confirmed, the English club will have two important absences, as midfielder Caicedo is also out due to suspension.

In the green and white environment, the expectation is that most fans will be in the stands. Many Palmeiras fans have already been in Philadelphia since the victory over Botafogo , which occurred last Saturday. In fact, in the previous duel, the number of people present exceeded the initial projections, and the tendency is that the same will happen again.

On the eve of the match, Chelsea players showed respect for their Brazilian opponents. Full-back Marc Cucurella assessed that the defeat to Flamengo in the group stage served as a lesson. "At the end of that match, we suffered a lot, perhaps a little more than we expected. Against Flamengo, we started winning, but then they reacted. Tomorrow will definitely be a difficult game," said the Spaniard, highlighting the importance of concentration throughout the 90 minutes.

Similarly, right-back Reece James described the clash with Palmeiras as a "war". "We learned a lot from facing Flamengo. We are ready for war tomorrow. We need to win the game and we are preparing in the best way possible," said the Englishman.

Therefore, while Palmeiras expects a large presence of its fans at the stadium, Chelsea is dealing with emotional issues and absences that could directly influence its performance on the field.