Chelsea have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup after a grueling 4-1 victory over Benfica in extra time. The match, played in Charlotte, lasted more than four and a half hours due to a two-hour suspension caused by severe weather, which occurred just four minutes before full time.
Despite dominating the first half, Chelsea failed to score until the 64th minute, when captain Reece James converted a free kick to give the Blues the lead. However, the match was suspended in the 86th minute due to the strict weather protocol. After a long delay, play resumed, and Benfica managed to equalize in the 95th minute with a penalty by Ángel Di María, awarded for a handball by Chelsea’s Malo Gusto.
Benfica then played almost the entirety of extra time with ten men following the dismissal of young talent Prestianni due to accumulated bookings. The Portuguese side eventually succumbed in the second half of extra time. Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku scored in the 108th minute following defensive errors by Barreiro and goalkeeper Trubin. Pedro Neto extended the lead at the 114th minute, and Dewsbury-Hall sealed the win in the 117th minute.
Chelsea’s opponents in the quarterfinals will be Palmeiras, while Di María will return to Argentina to play for Rosario Central, marking the end of his European career.
