So far, Chelsea are 1-1 in duels with teams from the five-time world champions. In the first round, they were beaten 3-1 by Flamengo, their only defeat so far.
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With Fluminense on the horizon, the Spanish defender heaped praise on Renato Portaluppi's side, noting in particular the presence of Thiago Silva, a personal friend of his who until recently was at Stamford Bridge defending the colours of Chelsea.
"Well, personally, I watched the Fluminense game(the 2-1 win over Al-Hilal) and they have a lot of good players who are decisive. They also have Thiago Silva. I think it will be a very even match. After all, they're in the semi-finals because they've done the right things. I hope we can beat them," said Cucurella.
The Spaniard also revealed to journalists an exchange of messages with Thiago Silva before the clash with Palmeiras. Cucurella praised the career of the experienced Fluminense player, considering him to be one of the greats in his position.
"I think he's a football legend, an elite player, he's only played for big clubs. He sent me a message before the game, encouraging me. It's great that we'll be able to meet up in the next few days and face each other again. I hope we can do good things in this match, win it and reach the final, which is our goal," said the Spaniard.
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Fluminense and Chelsea play on Tuesday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey at 4pm (Brasília time). The big decider of the intercontinental tournament is scheduled for Sunday 13 July at 4pm (Brasília), again at the MetLife Stadium.
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