Italian midfielder Jorginho has said Chelsea are "going to give everything" to win the Fifa Club World Cup final and believes a mid-season trophy can drive the team forward for the rest of the campaign.
The Uefa Champions League holders face South American champions Palmeiras in the showpiece at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday. Chelsea defeated Asian Champions League winners Al Hilal to book their place in the final, while Palmeiras beat African champions Al Ahly 2-0 in their semi-final.
“We are only thinking about the game tomorrow and it’s the most important game for us right now,” Jorginho, 30, said at the pre-match conference.
“It’s February and how good can it be to take a trophy home in the middle of the Premier League season? To win trophies is the best thing we can do for our families, for the fans, the club and for everyone.”
The Club World Cup is the only major trophy to elude Chelsea - their previous appearance in the tournament ended with a 1-0 defeat in the 2012 final to Corinthians - and Jorginho insisted the Blues can go one better on Saturday if they are prepared.
“We are going to give everything to bring this cup home because it’s really important to us,” he said. “We have a lot of respect for Palmeiras because it’s not by chance they are here. They have won an important title and in this one game (final) anything can happen.”
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel arrived in Abu Dhabi on Friday night after recovering from Covid-19 and Jorginho said the German's presence has already given the team a massive boost.
“Of course it gives you more, he’s our manager and there's more energy in the changing room,” he said. “It'll be really important for us if he could be here. It’s unfortunate Thomas wasn’t able to be here to this point. We are in touch with him all the time, even from far away we feel he’s with us.”
Al Hilal v Chelsea player ratings
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AL HILAL RATINGS: Abdullah Al Mayouf – 7. Well positioned to keep out a shot from Lukuku in the first half, and had to be at full stretch to keep out Ziyech later on. PA -
Yasir Al Shahrani – 7. Failed to deal with Havertz’s cross, which presented the opener to Lukaku, but he did not shirk the challenge at any stage. Linked up excellently with Al Dawsari at times. Getty -
Jang Hyun-soo – 6. His indecisiveness early on put his side under pressure a number of times. Settled better thereafter, and might have scored at a corner, but his header went wide. EPA -
Mohammed Al Breik – 7. Showed great poise to evade the Chelsea press early on. It should have settled his side’s nerves, if there were any. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Ali Al Bulaihi – 7. Marking Romelu Lukaku is no easy task, but he coped admirably. Was growing terse by the end, though, and he was booked after a skirmish with Mount. PA -
Gustavo Cuellar – 6. Wasteful when Hilal had a chance on the break, as he failed to pick a pass. Booked for a necessary foul on Havertz. Had his work cut out against Kovacic, Jorginho and Kante. AP -
Moussa Marega – 6. Failed to get the ball under control twice when Hilal were in promising positions early on. Shot at Arrizabalaga when clean through. AP -
Mohammed Kanno – 8. Important at defensive set pieces, and made brave blocks from Ziyech and Mount. Hit a shot from range just over as Hilal threatened a fightback. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Matheus Pereira – 6. His sloppiness in possession in his own half twice put Hilal under pressure. Showed some quality when he slipped Marega through for Hilal’s first clear opening, and was brighter from then on. Getty -
Salem Al Dawsari – 6. Fired a shot from the edge over the bar after a neat interchange with Al Shahrani. Shone at times, but did not see the ball as often as his side would have liked. AP -
Odion Ighalo – 4. Hilal needed more from their new signing. Too often the Nigerian striker was static, and he was lucky not to be withdrawn when Leonardo Jardim made attacking changes with 10 minutes to go. Getty -
SUBS: Andre Carrillo – N/A. Beat a hasty retreat down the tunnel at full time. Appeared frustrated not to have been given enough time to make an impact. EPA. Michael – N/A. -
CHELSEA RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 8. Brilliant saves to keep out Marega from close range and Kanno from distance. Impressive sharpness given he was not much troubled otherwise. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Thiago Silva – 7. Might as well have been playing in a dinner jacket. The Brazilian centre back is all class. PA -
Antonio Rudiger – 8. Former Porto forward Marega was one of the few Hilal players Chelsea had an in-depth knowledge on before the game. Rudiger had him in his pocket throughout. AP -
Andreas Christensen – 6. A quiet night until right at the end, when he somehow managed to avoid a booking for a WWE-style takedown on Ighalo. AFP -
Cesar Azpilicueta – 6. Al Dawsari and Al Sharani linked up well down Hilal’s left, and Chelsea’s captain was caught out on occasion. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Marcos Alonso – 5. Upended Marega early on. Later had the same treatment meted out to him by Kanno. Did little of note before making way for Sarr. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Mateo Kovacic – 7. Lucky not be censured for a clip on Ighalo’s heels which left the striker in a heap. Later booked for a foul on Al Dawsari. Good in possession, but still a surprising choice as man of the match. Getty -
Jorginho – 6. Barely needed to break sweat in the 45 minutes he was on for. Replaced by Kante at the interval. AFP -
Romelu Lukaku – 6. Maybe he was saving up his energy for the final. He really did not get through much work. Earned his money with the decisive goal, though. PA -
Hakim Ziyech – 7. Surprising he did not score given the number of shots he rained in. Twice it was down to good goalkeeping. Taken off just as he was starting a fight. Getty -
Kai Havertz – 8. Played the cross from which Lukaku eventually struck the opener. Struck a post after a fine run. The brightest of Chelsea’s attackers. PA -
SUBS: Ngolo Kante – 7. On for Jorginho at the interval, and was his usual ubiquitous self as he dominated midfield. Reuters -
Mason Mount – N/A. On for Ziyech late on, the biggest impression he made was by riling most of the Hilal backline. AFP -
Malang Sarr – N/A. Little to do after his late introduction for Alonso, but still enamoured himself to his side’s fans after successfully retrieving an apparently lost ball on the left flank. Reuters
Chelsea assistant manager Zsolt Low is expecting a tough encounter against Palmeiras and revealed the players have been working to improve on their laboured performance against Al Hilal.
“We are aware how good the Brazilian teams are in this competition but as the European champions I would like to think we go as the favourites,” Low said.
“We assessed our performance against Al Hilal and worked on areas what we can do better in our next game. We also had a long trip and a big time difference to adapt for our first game.”
One major selection decision that Tuchel faces is who to name in goal. Kepa Arrizabalaga was excellent in the win over Hilal, producing a couple of big saves, and the Spaniard has generally excelled in Edouard Mendy's absence while he was helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mendy has now rejoined the squad and as Chelsea's undisputed No 1, is in contention to start against Palmeiras.
“We will leave it to Thomas on who plays in the final,” Low said. “The final decision will be some hours before the game but if we decide for one or the other, the one on the bench has nothing to be worried or sad about. Both goalkeepers had a big performance in the last weeks and this is why it's a question just for this game.”
Meanwhile, Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira believes his team should have every confidence that they can defeat Chelsea in the Club World Cup final.
“I can say very confidently we can face anyone with the same goal, which is to win,” the Portuguese said. “We are not here because of a draw, but we are here on merit and the quality of work with a lot of dedication. We have worked with a clear focus to reach the final and win. That was our goal since we started preparing for this season.
“My players have the competitiveness, respect and courage that I think would make the difference between the two sides."
