defeated 10-man Benfica 4-1 in the early hours of today by netting three late extra-time goals in an extraordinary FIFA World Cup round of 16 match that lasted more than four hours and included a near two-hour delay for extreme weather.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the second half of extra-time in Charlotte, North Carolina eventually saw Chelsea through to the quarter-finals.
The English Premier League side had been heading for an uneventful victory, with Reece James’ brilliant near-post free-kick in the 64th minute looking like the winner.
However, with just four minutes left, players were taken off the pitch due to thunderstorms in the area and, when the teams eventually returned after nearly two hours, Benfica scored with their first shot on target to take the game into extra time.
Angel di Maria, playing his final game for Benfica, converted from the penalty spot in the 94th minute after a Chelsea handball to make it 1-1.
Two yellow cards in the 96th minute and first minute of extra-time saw youngster Gianluca Prestianni sent off, the latter for a late challenge on Levi Colwill.
And Chelsea made the man advantage pay eventually, as they set up a Friday quarter-final in Philadelphia against Brazil’s Palmeiras.
There was a crowd of only 25,929 in the 74,867-capacity Bank of America Stadium for the game, which saw Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile injured – he left the ground on crutches – and star midfielder Moises Caicedo pick up a second booking of the campaign to earn a one-match suspension.
Thunderstorms are commonplace in the local Charlotte area and the threat of one kickstarts a ‘seek cover protocol’.
It is reset by a further 30 minutes every time another lightning strike occurs within an eight-mile radius.
This is, however, not something the majority of the football audience or the players involved in the match are used to – and Chelsea’s squad looked furious when they were dragged off.
Earlier, Palmeiras defeated their Brazilian rivals Botafogo 1-0 to advance to the quarter-finals.
Paulinho scored the only goal of the scrappy encounter five minutes into extra-time to set up the last-eight clash with Chelsea.
