Club World Cup: Maresca fears 'bad surprise' when Chelsea face Esperance

Enzo Maresca has warned his Chelsea side against underrating Esperance as they aim to secure a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stage on Tuesday night. 

The Blues face ES Tunis at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, needing to avoid defeat to progress to the Round of 16.

Maresca acknowledges that the task will not be straightforward due to the Tunisian champions demonstrating their quality throughout the tournament.

The Blues need a draw to avoid a humiliating group stage exit, and failure to win or draw will mark the end of their campaign in the United States.

Speaking ahead of the decisive Group D match, Maresca emphasised the importance of focusing on the game and preparing for potential difficulties. 

The Italian manager stated that any match Chelsea fail to win inevitably generates headlines, a pressure they are accustomed to.

“In this moment, the focus is on the game,” Maresca stated at his pre-match press conference. “Football is full of surprises – bad surprises – so we need to be ready for the game tomorrow and win the game.

“When you are the Chelsea manager or a Chelsea player, any game you don’t win is a headline. We are used to that. Tomorrow is a game where we have to do the right things to go through to the next stage and we will need to give our best.” 

Chelsea are likely to take on Bayern Munich in the round of 16 if they come through Group D in second spot.