The Club World Cup continues after the end of the first round, with the locals beating the OFC representative. Now we find ourselves looking at the quarterfinals, where Club León, representing the CONCACAF, comes to face the AFC representative, Urawa Red Diamonds.
The Esmeraldas had a poor campaign at the local level, but they were successful in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, defeating LAFC in the finals.
The Reds come from a remarkable underdog history, beating Saudi Team Al Hilal in the final after finishing second in their group.
When?
Friday, December 13th, 8:30 AM at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium
Betting Odds:
Club León 1.98
Urawa Red Diamonds 3.715
Draw:
3.52
Where can I watch it?
Star+ and Paramount+
Why bet on Club León?
‘La Fiera’ has had a year of ups and downs. Locally, they didn’t do much in the Clausura or Apertura, getting early eliminations in the Liguilla. However, in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the history was different. They defeated LAFC in the final, making their home field respected, and now come to the Club World Cup trying to make a statement.
Their best player currently is Ángel Mena, a capable winger who relies more on his experience than explosiveness at this age. In the Liga MX, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals against América without giving much of a fight, while in the regular season, they finished eighth.
Why bet on Urawa Red Diamonds?
The Japanese team, from the Greater Tokyo area, was a great surprise last season in the AFC Champions Cup. In the final, they defeated the powerful Al Hilal after finishing second in their group. However, although the club is a surprise addition to this Club World Cup, it’s not weird to see a Japanese outfit featured here.
The J-League is pretty dominant in the Asian continent, and teams like Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Kashima Antlers left good impressions in recent times. The Reds come from finishing fourth in the J-League, so they are out of international competitions for the next season unless they win the AFC Champions Cup again.
Final Betting Analysis: Club León vs. Urawa Red Diamonds
The Club World Cup is the kind of competition that is hard to approach. The teams facing come from totally different contexts, leagues, and places. However, that is precisely what makes it so exciting. In this case, the odds consider the Mexican outfit the favorite.
In a one-on-one comparison, the quality of the Esmeraldas stands out, and the Urawa Reds level in this edition of the AFC Champions Cup has not been ideal, so we believe that Club León will be capable of winning to face none other than Manchester City.
Go for a victory for León at 1.98. If you bet $100 at such odds, you could get $98.00 for a total payout of $198.