If you had told Fluminense fans 12 months ago that in a year their side would be on the brink of a Club World Cup final, they probably would’ve laughed at you. At that point in time, they were stuck at the bottom of the Brasileirão and struggling for form. Fast forward to now — they’re just one game away from a historic Club World Cup final, with Chelsea standing in their way for a place in the final.

Their journey in this tournament to this point has been nothing short of remarkable, and each week they’ve grown from strength to strength, showing their quality across the pitch.

Fluminense remain unbeaten in the tournament so far. Their opening game came against Borussia Dortmund, where they put in a strong performance but were held to a 0-0 draw, despite dominating large spells of the match. Their second fixture saw them take on Ulsan HD of South Korea, where they enjoyed a 4-2 win, in what was a much more open and attacking display.

Then, in their final group match, they took on South African side Mamelodi Sundowns. It was another tight contest that ended goalless, but the point was enough to see them through to the knockout stages.

Up next was a big test, European Champions League finalists Inter Milan, and Fluminense stunned them. Goals from Germán Cano and Hercules, who came off the bench to score, sealed a famous 2-0 win. It was a performance built on discipline; they soaked up the pressure brilliantly, defended as a unit, and when the chances came, they hit on the break. One of the standout performers throughout has been Jhon Arias, and against Inter, he was unplayable at times, appearing everywhere on the pitch, causing huge problems for the Italians.

On Friday, they faced Al-Hilal, and once again, they were out-possessed and out-shot, but it didn’t matter, as Flu knew that if they soaked up pressure, they would be fluent going forward. Goals from Martinelli and a late winner from Hercules helped secure a 2-1 win and a semi-final place.

There are some concerns, though. They’ll be without Juan Freytes, who is suspended, and Martinelli, who also misses out. That means Hercules, the super sub who scored the winner on Friday, is likely to start. The question is whether Flu can still find an impact off the bench. But this is Fluminense, they have plenty of options. Ganso, Jefferson Savarino, Lima, Agustín Canobbio, plenty of names who could come on and turn a game on its head.

Chelsea, unlike Fluminense, are not unbeaten in the tournament. They began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over LAFC, but it wasn’t as smooth sailing as the scoreline suggests. Chelsea took some time to settle into the competition, and LAFC made them work for it.

Then came their first meeting with Brazilian opposition, Flamengo. Chelsea took the lead through Pedro Neto and looked strong early on, but a game-changing substitution saw Bruno Henrique come on and cause all sorts of problems. Flamengo turned the game on its head and ran out 3-1 winners, a top performance and a frustrating night for Chelsea. It’s a result that Fluminense, Flamengo’s Rio rivals, will no doubt be looking to emulate.

Chelsea bounced back in their final group game with a very comfortable 3-0 win over Esperance Tunis of Tunisia, securing second place in the group and progression to the knockouts.

Their first knockout game saw them take on Benfica, a dramatic and frustrating match, largely due to a thunderstorm delay and rough conditions. Chelsea led 1-0 before the storm, only to concede in stoppage time, sending the game to extra time. Chelsea found another gear in extra time and ran out 4-1 winners.

In the quarter-final, it was Palmeiras who stood in their way. Cole Palmer opened the scoring for Chelsea before Estevão, facing his future club, levelled things up for the Brazilian side. But then came the winner, and it was a stroke of misfortune for Palmeiras. Some clever play down the wing resulted in a deflection that caught Weverton off guard and ended up in his own net, sealing a 2-1 win for Chelsea and booking their place in the semi-final.

Chelsea will be hoping to get the job done against another Brazilian opponent, but if this tournament has shown anything, it’s that Fluminense will be no pushovers.

João Pedro is likely to start in this one, especially with Liam Delap ruled out. The forward made his debut off the bench against Palmeiras and looked sharp, slotting in like he’d been part of the squad for years. He’ll be a key figure, and that’s exactly why Chelsea brought him in.

The match here is likely to follow a similar pattern to Chelsea’s clash with Palmeiras. Fluminense’s game plan will be to soak up pressure, with veteran defender Thiago Silva expected to hold the fort at the back, while looking to spring forward with the pace and creativity of Arias on the counter.

It’s set up to be a tight, nervy, but enjoyable affair, a proper battle between England and Brazil, with a Club World Cup final on the line.