Chelsea has defeated Benfica 4-1 after extra time to secure their place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
The match saw Reece James open the scoring just past the hour mark with a clever free-kick that beat Anatoliy Trubin.
With only minutes remaining in regular time, the game was unexpectedly suspended for two hours due to extreme weather conditions in the area.
Following the lengthy delay, Angel Di Maria converted his fourth penalty of the tournament, leveling the score and forcing the tie into extra time.
The additional period began dramatically, with Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica receiving a second yellow card almost immediately, leaving his team with ten men.
Chelsea took full advantage in the second half of extra time, scoring three goals through Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to seal a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
The Blues are now set to play Palmeiras in the quarter-finals on July 4.
Match Details:
- Final Result: Benfica 1-4 Chelsea (AET)
- Benfica Starting XI: Trubin, Dahl, Otamendi, Antonio Silva, Aursnes, Florentino, Barreiro, Kokcu, Di Maria, Schjelderup, Pavlidis
- Chelsea Starting XI: Sanchez, James, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella, Lavia, Caicedo, Enzo, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Delap
