Chelsea has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup following a dramatic 4-1 victory over Benfica in a match that was heavily affected by weather and went into extra time.
The deadlock was broken by Reece James just past the hour mark, whose well-executed free-kick found its way past Benfica`s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, giving Chelsea the lead.
However, the final minutes of regulation time saw the match suspended due to extreme weather conditions in the area. After a significant delay of two hours, play resumed. Benfica were awarded a penalty, which Angel Di Maria converted – marking his fourth penalty success of the tournament – to level the score at 1-1 and send the tie to extra time.
Extra time began with a crucial moment as Benfica`s Gianluca Prestianni received a second yellow card for a challenge, resulting in his dismissal and leaving Benfica to play with ten men for the remainder of the match.
Chelsea effectively utilized their numerical advantage, particularly in the second half of extra time. Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saw the Blues score three decisive goals, securing a comfortable 4-1 win in the end.
With this victory, Chelsea is set to face Palmeiras in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on July 4.
Match Details
- Final Score: Benfica 1-4 Chelsea (After Extra Time)
Team Lineups
- Benfica: Trubin, Dahl, Otamendi, Antonio Silva, Aursnes, Florentino, Barreiro, Kokcu; Di Maria, Schjelderup, Pavlidis
- Chelsea: Sanchez, James, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella, Lavia, Caicedo, Enzo, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Delap
Marcus Bellamy