delivered the decisive blow in the 108th minute as
Chelsea pulled away for a dramatic 4-1 extra-time victory over 10-man
Benfica in Charlotte, North Carolina, booking their spot in the quarterfinals of the
FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday.The game, packed with chaos, drama, and late twists, saw Benfica reduced to 10 men early in extra time when Gianluca Prestianni received his second yellow card for a rash challenge on Levi Colwill just two minutes in.
Chelsea seized the advantage with Nkunku’s go-ahead goal, before
Pedro Neto (114’) and
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (117’) struck on swift counters to seal the emphatic win.
The victory sets up a quarterfinal clash for the Premier League side against Brazil’s Palmeiras in Philadelphia. Palmeiras had earlier edged past Botafogo 1-0 courtesy of Paulinho’s 100th-minute winner.
Chelsea initially took the lead through
Reece James in the 64th minute, only for a 115-minute weather delay in the 86th to disrupt the contest. When play resumed, Benfica found an unlikely equalizer deep into stoppage time.
Angel Di Maria calmly slotted home a penalty in the 96th minute after Malo Gusto was penalized for handball, making him a perfect 4-for-4 from the spot in the tournament.
The wild match also featured the fifth direct free-kick goal of the Club World Cup, part of a relentless spectacle that lasted 4 hours and 38 minutes.
Chelsea dominated statistically with a 22-8 shot advantage, including 12 on target, and committed 21 fouls to Benfica’s 14 in a game that thinned the crowd but never the tension.
An electrifying 104th-minute exchange highlighted the intensity - Cole Palmer forced a sharp save from Anatoliy Trubin, only for Di María to sprint the length of the pitch and nearly score at the other end, denied only by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
From weather delays to extra-time fireworks, Chelsea’s gritty performance under pressure sets the stage for another blockbuster as they inch closer to global glory.
