Club World Cup: Chelsea Defeats Benfica
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Christopher Nkunku scored a crucial rebound goal in extra time, helping Chelsea secure a 4-1 victory over Benfica in the Club World Cup round on Saturday.
With this win, Chelsea is set to face Palmeiras in the quarter-finals in Philadelphia on Friday. Palmeiras had previously beaten Botafogo 1-0.
Nkunku’s decisive goal happened in the 108th minute, following a red card given to Gianluca Prestianni, which left Benfica a player down.
A shot from Moisés Caicedo was saved by goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin, but Nkunku was quick to react, scoring from the deflection in the upper right corner. His teammates soon flocked to celebrate with him.
Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall each added extra goals during the extra time, extending Chelsea’s lead.
Reece James had opened the scoring in the 64th minute with a free kick, giving Chelsea a 1-0 advantage.
Things took a turn, though, when the match was halted due to lightning with just four minutes left, pushing the game back by two hours. When play resumed, Chelsea was controversially penalized for handball after the ball struck Malo Gusto’s arm.
“We were in control for 85 minutes. After the break, the game changed. It’s not the same game,” commented Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca. “You pause the game (for two hours), and it’s not football. I’m struggling to figure it out… We’ve been here for two weeks, and they’ve stopped 6-7 games, so something’s not working here.”
Angel Di Maria converted the resulting penalty, which brought Benfica back into contention.
Despite dominating the first half, Chelsea managed to score only once before halftime. James expertly placed his shot into the lower left corner of the net after multiple attempts. Benfica had a chance to equalize in the 78th minute, but Prestianni’s shot narrowly missed the target, leading to a moment of regret as he buried his head in his hands.
As lightning struck nearby, players were called off the field and fans were instructed to seek shelter, even though there wasn’t rain in the stadium. Surprisingly, only a fraction of the crowd returned after the delay.
Chelsea came into this match with a solid 3-0 record against Benfica and had controlled the game well, taking a 5-1 advantage in shot attempts during the first half.
Even with over 60% possession, Chelsea entered halftime tied 0-0, which was unexpected given their strong performance. Sadly, the atmosphere didn’t match the game, with many seats empty in the 75,000-seat Bank of America Stadium, reflecting ongoing struggles with ticket sales as they approached the knockout rounds.
