🔊 How will the teams fare at the start of the Club World Cup? Botafogo and Seattle Sounders find themselves in a group with two European powerhouses, making their chances of advancing to the playoffs slim. This only heightens the importance of their head-to-head clash, as a loss could effectively end their tournament aspirations. Notably, the match will take place at Lumen Field, Seattle's home ground. Despite this, bookmakers have pegged the Brazilian side as the clear favorites. Can they handle the pressure from the stands?

Head-to-Head

📊 It's hardly surprising that Botafogo and Seattle Sounders have never crossed paths before. The upcoming match will mark the first-ever head-to-head clash between these two teams.

Botafogo FR Team Overview

⚫ Botafogo arrive at the tournament as the top team in South America, having clinched the previous Serie A title as well as the Copa Libertadores. Currently, the "Lone Star" are in solid form, riding a three-game winning streak and securing victories in 7 of their last 10 matches.

🔝 Renato Paiva's squad doesn't particularly stand out for its scoring prowess and lacks a standout goalscorer. The top scorer this season is Igor Jesus, who has netted just 7 goals in 24 appearances. Arguably, Botafogo's most high-profile player is defender Alex Telles, who has made his mark at Porto and Manchester United.

Seattle Sounders Team Overview

🟢 Seattle are one of the strongest teams in MLS. Last season, they reached the conference finals, narrowly losing to LA Galaxy, the eventual tournament champions. As for their current form, Brian Schmetzer's side were maintaining a decent pace but suffered two consecutive losses in early June. Their opponents were tough — Minnesota and Vancouver, both leading in the West. However, the level of competition at the Club World Cup will be far more challenging.

🔝 The main attacking force for the team is Albert Rusnák, who has recorded 8 goals and 3 assists in 20 matches this season. In Europe, the Slovak, a product of Manchester City's academy, didn't make a significant impact and has been playing in MLS since 2017. The most high-profile player for Seattle is Ryan Kent, who moved to America just a couple of months ago. The Liverpool academy graduate made his mark in Europe with Rangers and Fenerbahçe, but he has yet to score for his new team.

Latest news

Botafogo FR

📝 The headline news from Botafogo in recent days is the signing of contracts with Joaquín Correa and Arthur Cabral, who have joined from Inter and Benfica respectively. This marks a significant boost ahead of the Club World Cup.

❌ Goalkeeper Leo Linck, defenders Bastos, Marçal, Cuiabano and Hugo, along with wingers Jeffinho and Matheus Martins, will miss the match due to various injuries.

Seattle Sounders

🎙 "If we can secure a win against any of these three teams, it will demonstrate that MLS isn't as far behind some of the other leagues around the world," said Seattle's head coach Brian Schmetzer.

🎤 Ryan Kent shared his thoughts: "This is a tournament featuring the best teams from across the globe. If you ever want to win trophies, you have to approach every game as if it's a final. It's crucial to set a good pace at the start of the tournament, get off to a strong start, and show other teams that you're not just here to participate."

❌ Key defenders Yeimar Gómez and Kim Kee-hee, along with forward Paul Arriola, will be sidelined due to injuries. The first two have been out since late May, while the American has been out of action since March with a torn ACL. Forward Jordan Morris has been absent from the field for even longer, and his participation in the match remains uncertain.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

It's hard to shake the feeling that this match won't be a goal fest. The over has only been hit in 1 of Botafogo's last 5 games and in just 2 of Seattle's last 5. Additionally, the hosts have managed to score more than 1.5 goals just once in the past month. Given these stats, the choice seems clear – under 2.5 goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Interestingly, over the last 10 matches, both teams have nearly identical average corner counts – 5 for Botafogo compared to 4.8 for Seattle. The total number of corners per game is exactly the same at 9.3. Based on these statistics, a bet on over 8.5 corners is worth considering, as it has come through in 7 of the last 8 encounters involving the Brazilian giants.

Botafogo have the edge in terms of squad strength and quality of play, focusing on a reliable defense that often delivers results. If there's a case to be made for Seattle, it's the home crowd advantage, a factor not to be underestimated, given its importance. The visitors have only managed two wins in their last ten away matches, which presents a clear opportunity for Brian Schmetzer's side. Despite missing two key central defenders, we predict the Sounders will put up a fight against the visitors from Rio de Janeiro, aiming to please their fans with at least a point, if not an electrifying performance. Scores24's main prediction is Seattle Sounders will not lose, with an expected scoreline of 1-1.