Chelsea down Benfica to reach Club World Cup quarters after weather chaos

Chelsea defeated Benfica 4-1 in extra time in a chaotic weather-disrupted final-16 conflict to e book their region in the Membership World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored in extra time to send Premier League facet Chelsea into a quarter-final conflict towards Brazil’s Palmeiras.

Chelsea’s tiresome burst of scoring settled a sport that took four hours, 39 minutes to total at Charlotte’s Monetary institution of America Stadium in North Carolina after a halt to two-hour weather lengthen.

Chelsea supervisor Enzo Maresca used to be left pleased alongside with his team’s victory nonetheless slammed the lengthen that grew to develop into the tie into a halt to five-hour marathon.

“I mediate it’s a humorous memoir, it’s not football,” Maresca said.

“For 85 minutes we were in defend watch over of the sport. We created enough possibilities to seize the sport. Then after the spoil, the sport modified — for me in my opinion, it’s not football.”

Earlier, Chelsea had been apparently poised for victory after Reece James’ opportunistic 2nd-half of free-kick had left them 1-0 up with four minutes of legislation time final.

Nevertheless true as Chelsea started to mediate of their quarter-final task, the appearance of a storm over Charlotte brought about local safety protocols which required the sport to be halted.

It marked the sixth event all the strategy thru the Membership World Cup that a sport has been disrupted by a weather warning.

“If you are already suspending, six, seven, eight games it potentially methodology there would possibly be one thing that isn't very working effectively,” Maresca said. “Because in a football sport, it’s not regular to droop the sport.”

When play resumed true beneath two hours later, a revitalised Benfica grabbed an damage-time equaliser after Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto used to be adjudged to have dealt with in the penalty verbalize following an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee.

Benfica’s Argentine old Angel Di Maria stepped up to roll in an ice-chilly penalty, sending the sport into extra time.

An finish-to-finish first half of of extra time noticed Benfica, diminished to 10 men following Gianluca Prestianni’s 2nd yellow card on the finish of legislation, threaten to utilize the lead as they chased an not possible victory.

Nevertheless as a substitute it used to be Nkunku who fired Chelsea assist in front, the French international bundling in from halt fluctuate after Moises Caicedo’s low shot squirted underneath Benfica goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin.

Because the sport opened up, Benfica were increasingly inclined on the counter-assault and Chelsea pounced.

Neto made it 3-1 with a nerveless carry out after going gentle thru on goal in the 114th minute, and three minutes later Dewsbury-Hall performed the rout to send Chelsea thru to the final eight.