Benfica 1 – 4 Chelsea
Chelsea moved into the Membership World Cup quarter-finals with a outstanding extra-time win over Benfica which featured a two-hour climate delay on the Financial institution of America Stadium in Charlotte.
With Enzo Maresca’s facet main 1-0 because of Reece James’ intelligent free-kick, play was suspended within the 86th minute as a result of lightning within the neighborhood of the sparsely-attended stadium.
When play lastly resumed two hours later, Benfica took the competition to extra-time as Angel Di Maria transformed his fourth penalty of the event within the fifth minute of stoppage time after Malo Gusto was deemed to have dealt with within the field following a VAR test.
Gamers stroll off the sector on the Financial institution of America Stadium following the suspension of play
A rare recreation took one other twist as Benfica substitute Gianluca Prestianni was despatched off in the beginning of additional time for a second yellow card, permitting Chelsea to lastly seize management of the tie.
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku celebrates his aim
Christopher Nkunku put Chelsea again in entrance when he bundled house from close-range within the 108th minute, they usually added additional breakaway targets from Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor to arrange a quarter-final towards Palmeiras on Saturday.
The climate suspension meant there have been 4 and a half hours between kick-off and the ultimate whistle and noticed Chelsea and Benfica’s gamers made to depart the pitch as followers have been requested to hunt cowl within the stadium’s concourses.
The interruption made it the sixth recreation on the Membership World Cup to see a weather-related delay, with Benfica experiencing it for the second time after a two-hour delay affected their group stage win over Aukland Metropolis in Orlando.
Chelsea dominated the sport total and would have taken the lead earlier if not for some good saves by Anatoliy Trubin, who denied Neto, Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella in regular time.
Benfica’s Angel Di Maria added his fourth penalty aim of the event
Cucurella additionally had an effort cleared off the road by Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva however Chelsea lastly made the breakthrough because of quick-thinking from James after he noticed Trubin out of place along with his free-kick from huge on the left.
That aim appeared to have put Chelsea on the point of victory, with Benfica carrying little risk as an attacking pressure, though their penalty after the climate suspension threatened to show the sport on its head earlier than the pink card and Chelsea’s late flurry.
Enzo Maresca began with new signing Liam Delap up entrance as Nicolas Jackson served the second recreation of his suspension following his pink card towards Flamengo. There was additionally information of Chelsea reaching an settlement to signal winger Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund earlier than the sport.
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto scored Chelsea’s third
However all that was overshadowed by one other weather-enforced suspension which raises extra questions of the Membership World Cup’s organisation on the day that former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp described it because the “worst concept ever applied in soccer”.
Ultimately, although, it was clear that Chelsea cherished their victory, with Nkunku’s aim, and people of Neto and Dewsbury-Corridor, sparking wild celebrations as they got here by means of a gruelling take a look at to maintain their trophy hopes alive.
Who do Chelsea play subsequent?
Chelsea will face Brazilian facet Palmeiras within the final eight, kicking off at 2am on Saturday on the Lincoln Monetary Subject in Philadelphia.