Al Jazira eye Chelsea clash in Club World Cup last four

Al Jazira could face Al Hilal and then Chelsea in the Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi in February after the draw was made in Zurich yesterday night.

The UAE champions, competing in the rearranged tournament of continental champions as host representatives, first take on Oceanic winners Auckland City from New Zealand to open the event on February 3.

Should Jazira advance, they will then meet the Asian Champions League winners Hilal, of Saudi Arabia, in the quarter-finals.

The winners of that tie progress to take on current European champions Chelsea in the semi-final, where Thomas Tuchel’s team enter the tournament directly.

Brazilian side Palmeiras, who qualified after clinching the Copa Libertadores on Saturday, join in the last four also. They face the winner of the second-round clash between African champions Al Ahly and Concacaf counterparts Monterrey.

The seven-team tournament, the fifth time Abu Dhabi will have played host, concludes with the final on February 12. The event was originally to take place in Japan next month, but they withdrew in September citing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said over a video link at the daw ceremony: “At moments it has been difficult to arrive at this moment, but we have. I want to thank all of you that have made it possible. In particular, I want to thank our friends in the United Arab Emirates for stepping in when football needed them to host the Fifa Club World Cup 2021.”

In 2017, in their only other tournament appearance, Jazira reached the semi-finals. Having taken a 1-0 lead against Real Madrid at Zayed Sports City, the UAE side eventually lost 2-1 with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Madrid went on to lift the trophy.