Chelsea advanced to the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup in the United States after a dramatic and prolonged victory over Benfica that lasted nearly five hours. The match, played at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, was halted by weather delays and intense on-field action, ultimately ending with a 4-1 win for the London club thanks to late goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in extra time.
The game’s marathon pace was set by a weather storm that caused a near two-hour delay, turning the last-16 clash into a historic fixture in terms of duration taking four hours and 39 minutes to complete. Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, expressed frustration with the disruption. “I think it’s a joke, it’s not football,” he said. “For 85 minutes we were in control of the game. We created enough chances to win the game. Then after the break, the game changed for me personally, it’s not football.”
Chelsea appeared poised for victory when Reece James scored a second-half free-kick, giving them a 1-0 lead with just four minutes remaining. However, just as they began contemplating their next opponent, a storm over Charlotte prompted safety protocols, forcing the game to be stopped.
This was the sixth time in this tournament that weather warnings disrupted a fixture. When play resumed nearly two hours later, Benfica equalized in injury time after Chelsea’s substitute Malo Gusto was penalized for handball following a VAR review. Angel Di Maria calmly converted the penalty to level the score and send the match into extra time.
The first half of extra time was end-to-end, with Benfica, reduced to 10 men after Gianluca Prestianni received a second yellow, pushing for an unlikely victory. Despite Benfica’s late pressure, Chelsea’s late goals secured their spot in the next round, setting up a showdown with Brazilian side Palmeiras.
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