Club Leon vs Urawa Red Diamonds Prediction & Betting Tips - FIFA Club World Cup

Prediction published on 13/12/2023, 09:21  by Joseph King | Modified on 15/12/2023 at 01:30 in Football Predictions

The second round of the FIFA Club World Cup sees Mexican side Club Leon taking on Japanese club Urawa Reds in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The winner of this game will advance to the semi-final where they will meet up with UEFA Champions League winners Manchester City. Club Leon won the CONCACAF Champions League in June with a 3-1 aggregate win over MLS Cup runners-up LAFC. Their triumph has put the Esmeraldas into the Club World Cup for the first time in club history. Leon’s last time taking to the field was at the beginning of the month in the quarter-finals of the Liga MX Apertura Playoffs. Nicolas Larcamon’s men were ultimately defeated 4-2 on aggregate to Club America after a 2-2 home draw and a 2-0 away defeat. With two weeks since their last competitive fixture, Leon might have to battle against some rustiness. They didn’t end the season particularly well with a 2-1-2 run in their last five.

Urawa Reds are the reigning AFC Champions League winners after defeating Al-Hilal 2-1 on aggregate. This will be their third appearance at the Club World Cup with their best finish coming in 2007 when they secured third-place. The J-League wrapped up just two weeks ago with the Red Diamonds finishing in fourth-place. They’re still in this season’s AFC Champions Champions League where they will look to defend their title. Urawa secured second-place in the group despite losing 2-1 in their most recent match to Vietnamese side Ha Noi. The defeat was Urawa’s last time taking to the field, meaning there will be a nine-day gap between that match and this one. The loss to Ha Noi snapped a two-match winning streak for the Japanese side. It hasn’t been a good last few months for Urawa as they have managed just two wins in their last nine matches across all competitions.