Chelsea Storm Past Benfica 4-1 Despite Weather Chaos and Extra Time Drama
Chelsea triumphed over Benfica in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16, securing their place against Palmeiras in the quarterfinals after surviving extra time against a 10-man Benfica squad.
Early warning signs emerged for Benfica when Pedro Neto and Liam Delap created promising opportunities to break the deadlock. Enzo Maresca deployed Chelsea in his typical 4-2-3-1 formation, with team selection hinting at what supporters might expect in the upcoming Premier League campaign.
Young Benfica defender Antonio Silva produced a crucial goal-line clearance in the 20th minute, blocking Marc Cucurella's curling strike. Moments later, Anatoliy Trubin thwarted Cole Palmer's near-post effort as Chelsea maintained their offensive momentum. Following the cooling break, Trubin delivered another vital save to deny Cucurella once more.
Benfica's first-half offensive efforts were restricted to counterattacks that lacked precision in crucial moments.
Chelsea finally found their breakthrough in the 63rd minute through Reece James, who converted from a free-kick situation. The England captain unleashed a low drive towards Trubin's near post, catching the goalkeeper off guard. The ball flew past the upright and nestled into the net for the match's opening goal. James showed clever thinking to unlock the stalemate.
There were appeals for a penalty involving Benoit Badiashile and Vangelis Pavlidis at the opposite end, but the official dismissed any claims of a foul.
Play was suspended in the 85th minute due to severe weather conditions with thunderstorms in the vicinity. With only three minutes left in added time following the resumption, Benfica received a crucial penalty chance. Angel Di Maria, playing his farewell match in Benfica colors, converted confidently to level the score.
Merely two minutes into extra time, substitute Gianluca Prestianni received his marching orders after collecting a second yellow card. Christopher Nkunku restored Chelsea's advantage in the second period of extra time, helping the Blues avoid a challenging penalty shootout. This crucial strike could drive Chelsea further into the tournament. Pedro Neto sealed the victory with a third goal as the Portuguese winger continues his excellent summer following Portugal's UEFA Nations League triumph. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added a fourth as Maresca's bench players delivered when needed.
Despite all the challenges thrown at Maresca's team, they emerged triumphant after 120 minutes, earning their spot against Palmeiras in the quarterfinals.
Review the player ratings from the encounter below.
Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Benfica (4-2-3-1)
*Ratings Provided by Fotmob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Robert Sanchez | 7.7 |
LB: Marc Cucurella | 8.4 |
CB: Levi Colwill | 7.5 |
CB: Benoit Badiashile | 6.9 |
RB: Reece James | 8.2 |
DM: Romeo Lavia | 7.5 |
DM: Moises Caicedo | 8.7 |
AM: Enzo Fernandez | 6.8 |
RW: Pedro Neto | 8.8 |
ST: Liam Delap | 6.2 |
LW: Cole Palmer | 8.4 |
SUB: Tosin Adarabioyo (69' for Badiashile) | 6.8 |
SUB: Malo Gusto (80' for James) | 6.2 |
SUB: Christopher Nkunku (80' for Delap) | 7.4 |
SUB: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (80' for Fernandez) | 7.6 |
SUB: Trevoh Chalobah (85' for Lavia) | 6.7 |
SUB: Aaron Anselmino (118' for Colwill) | N/A |
Benfica Player Ratings vs. Chelsea (4-3-3)
*Ratings Provided by Fotmob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Anatoliy Trubin | 4.1 |
RB: Fredrik Aursnes | 6.5 |
CB: Antonio Silva | 7.0 |
CB: Nicolas Otamendi | 6.1 |
LB: Samuel Dahl | 5.4 |
CM: Florentino Luis | 6.7 |
CM: Leandro Barreiro | 5.9 |
CM: Orkun Kokcu | 6.3 |
RW: Angel Di Maria | 6.7 |
ST: Vangelis Pavlidis | 5.9 |
LW: Andreas Schjelderup | 6.4 |
SUB: Kerem Akturkoglu (46' for Schjelderup) | 6.3 |
SUB: Gianluca Prestianni (70' for Luis) | 4.4 |
SUB: Andrea Belotti (70' for Pavlidis) | 6.5 |
SUB: Tiago Gouveia (85' for Aursnes) | 6.4 |
SUB: Joao Veloso (85' for Kokcu) | 6.2 |