Club World Cup: Chelsea's late goals take down Benfica, 10-man Palmeiras beat Botafogo

Chelsea’s extra-time goals ensured they got the better of Benfica, while a 10-man Palmeiras dug deep to squeeze out a win over Botafogo in the first two round of 16 games at the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday, 29 June.

Chelsea’s clash against Benfica saw at least a two-hour delay due to a lightning storm in the Charlotte area, which triggered safety protocols and led to players and spectators being moved away from exposed areas.

Once the game resumed, it was a fairly even contest until the second half, when a brilliant set-piece by captain Reece James gave Chelsea the lead. To make matters worse for Benfica, Prestianni was sent off. However, the Portuguese side managed to equalise through a penalty converted by veteran Angel di Maria.

“Very proud. The performance, for me, was top until 85 minutes when they stopped the game and it started a completely different game,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca commented.

“When you are inside for more than one hour, it’s not easy. But 1-1, and then we continued to play, and the reward was the one that we deserved,” he added.

Once the match entered extra time, Chelsea completely outclassed their opponents, with Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all getting on the scoresheet to seal their place in the next round.

Meanwhile, in the battle between the Brazilian sides, Palmeiras came out on top with an extra-time winner to beat the in-form Botafogo 1–0. Paulinho scored the decisive goal in the 110th minute, although there was late drama as Gustavo Gmez was sent off in the 126th minute.

“We played an incredible game,” Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira told reporters.

“We did very well in the 90 minutes and in extra time. We suffered together with one player less, but we deserved it,” he added.

The Brazilian sides have continued to impress in this competition and will be looking to go deep in the tournament, hoping to challenge the top European teams and prove they are also quality opposition.

The next set of fixtures will see Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami take on PSG — a highly anticipated encounter, with the Argentine going up against his former club. It promises to be a contest to watch, especially as the reigning Champions League winners are set to be in action.