Chelsea booked their place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals with a dramatic 4-1 extra-time win over Benfica in Charlotte, overcoming a two-hour weather delay and a late equaliser to set up a clash with Palmeiras.
Reece James opened the scoring with a smartly taken free-kick, and Chelsea looked set for a routine win before lightning forced play to be suspended in the 86th minute.
When the game finally resumed nearly two hours later, chaos unfolded. A VAR review handed Benfica a stoppage-time penalty, coolly dispatched by Angel Di Maria to take the tie into extra time.
Benfica’s momentum didn’t last. Gianluca Prestianni saw red early in extra time, allowing Chelsea to assert dominance.
Christopher Nkunku capitalised on a goalkeeper error to restore the lead, before Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added late goals to seal a commanding win for the Conference League champions.
Despite the bizarre circumstances, including four-and-a-half hours between kick-off and the final whistle, Chelsea showed composure and resilience.
Enzo Maresca’s men now head to Philadelphia, where Palmeiras await. After 61 matches this season, Chelsea continue to find ways to win – rain, shine, or storm.