Transform "They will perform well in the competition." using "expected".

The transformation "They will perform well in the competition." to "They are expected to perform well in the competition" accurately conveys the original meaning by using "expected" in a clear and grammatically correct manner. This choice maintains the structure of the original sentence while rephrasing it to reflect an expectation about their performance. It implies that there is an anticipation or belief that these individuals will succeed, which aligns perfectly with the original statement about their performance.

This transformation effectively utilizes the passive construction "are expected," which is common in English to express anticipations about future actions or outcomes. The phrase "to perform well in the competition" retains the specific action and context from the original sentence, ensuring that both the meaning and the focus on the competition are preserved.

Reviewing the other possibilities, while some also contain elements of expectation, they either alter the focus or introduce awkward phrasing that makes them less suitable. The first option remains the most coherent and directly linked to the idea of expectation about a future event.