The Blues overcame a near two-hour weather delay, scoring three times in extra time to book their spot in the quarter-finals
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea are off to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup after defeating Portuguese giants Benfica 4-1 on Saturday in the round of 16 in the competition. The Blues overcame a near two-hour extreme weather delay that halted play for one hour and 57 minutes to secure their spot in the next round, scoring three times in extra time.
A world-class free kick from captain and full-back Reece James in the second half saw them break the deadlock, putting them on track for what looked like a swift and seamless victory. However, in the 86th minute of the contest, FIFA officials halted the match due to weather, and multiple delays later, the teams resumed after spending over an entire regulation period in the locker room.
Upon return, Benfica seized their opportunity, equalising in stoppage time through an Angel Di Maria penalty kick – his fourth goal of the competition. A Malo Gusto handball offense was called with minutes to spare, and the Argentina legend stepped up to draw level, forcing extra time.
Come extra-time, it was all Chelsea, though.
Just two minutes in, Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was shown a second yellow card, and the Portuguese club were reduced to 10 men. From there, Maresca deployed a high press, and it resulted in three goals to close out the match.
Christopher Nkunku scored the game-winner, making it 2-1 in the 108th minute, bagging a strike worth $13.1 million due to the enormous prize pool of the competition, earning the London team a hefty payday by advancing to the next round. Then, Pedro Neto found the back of the net, followed by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the closing stages.
The Blues overcame a lengthy delay and a shocking late equaliser to secure their advancement in the tournament, where they will now meet Palmeiras and Brazilian wonderkid Estevao in a head-to-head match before he joins them on a permanent transfer after the completion of the competition. However, they will have to do it without midfielder Moises Caicedo, who earned his second yellow card of Club World Cup, and will be suspended due to accumulation for their next match.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Bank of America Stadium..
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Robert Sanchez (6/10):
Rarely tested, but came up big in the first half with a save and then once again in the closing stages. Nothing he could do about the penalty.
Reece James (9/10):
Rock-solid defensively, but his moment arrived in the attack, as he scored the game-winner with a world-class free kick.
Benoit Badiashile (6/10):
A bit shaky in the first 45 minutes, but much more composed in the second half. Departed the match due to injury in the 69th minute.
Levi Colwill (7/10):
A top performance from the England international, who was reliable on and off the ball.
Marc Cucurella (7/10):
Fantastic going forward in the attack and composed defensively. A consistent performance from the Spanish veteran.
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Moises Ciacedo (9/10):
A stunning game from the Ecuadorian. He forced the turnover that led to Nkunku's winner, and put forth a brilliant midfield performance, but a costly yellow card now sees him suspended for the quarter-finals. It was a needless foul, and one that could potentially haunt them in the next round.
Romeo Lavia (6/10):
Solid in the middle of the park alongside Caicedo in regulation. Helped control the tempo of the match and was defensively sound off the ball while providing a passing outlet for those around him.
Enzo Fernandez (7/10):
Deployed in a more attacking role, he pushed the pace of the game all evening long while breaking into the final third alongside Neto, Delap, and Palmer. Put forth an impressive performance on the ball, but his passing left a bit to be desired.
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Pedro Neto (6/10):
A few really nice runs up and down the right flank of the pitch and across the top of the box, but he rarely threatened until his late goal in extra time.
Liam Delap (6/10):
Scored a late attempt in the second half, but the offside flag rose. Otherwise, a few decent chances in the box, but looked a bit off-tempo from those around him – it was increasingly apparent throughout the match he's still learning this Chelsea system.
Cole Palmer (7/10):
Deployed at left wing and he looked uncomfortable in the first 90 minutes but had a really positive showing in extra-time and helped propel Chelsea to victory.
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Kiernan Desbury-Hall (6/10):
Overall, a bright cameo for a midfielder who has struggled for minutes of late. Was active centrally and going forward and provided energy in extra-time. Took his goal well, too.
Cristopher Nkunku (8/10):
The goal-scoring hero in extra-time, the French forward stepped up to bag the winner with 12 minutes left in the overtime period. The perfect performance.
Malo Gusto (3/10):
Replaced goalscorer Reece James and then committed the penalty kick offense that Benfica scored to push things into another 30 minutes. Just a poor cameo that proved to be costly.
Tosin (6/10):
Replaced the injured Badiashile and didn't put a foot wrong. A classy defensive performance to end the match.
Trevoh Chalobah (6/10):
Introduced after the lengthy weather delay, and helped Chelsea's defence lock in throughout extra time.
Enzo Maresca (6/10):
Really strange lineup from the Italian, choosing to play Palmer on the left and Fernandez at No. 10. His team struggled to create attacking chances all evening as a result, and neither looked particularly comfortable in the final third when lined up. Upon return from the weather delay, they looked stagnant and unprepared for the attacking pressure Benfica brought. However, it was smart of him to change things up after going up a man, and it resulted in a victory.