Chelsea Crush Benfica in Wild Club World Cup Clash Marked by Chaos and Comeback
Wow, what a rollercoaster of a match that was — Chelsea vs Benfica in the Club World Cup last-16 clash! A 4-1 win for Chelsea, but trust me, that scoreline barely tells half the story.
Let’s start with the bizarre setting. Picture this: Chelsea were cruising at 1-0, minutes away from a clean win, when suddenly the skies over Charlotte cracked open. A thunderstorm rolled in and stopped the match dead in its tracks. Play was suspended for nearly two hours — yes, two whole hours ! Players sat around in the dressing room, keeping warm on exercise bikes, chatting on phones, eating snacks. Some even admitted it completely disrupted their rhythm. Coach Enzo Maresca wasn’t holding back either — he called it "a joke" and questioned if the U.S. is even the right place to host such a prestigious tournament, especially with next year’s World Cup looming.
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When the game finally resumed, it felt like a different match altogether. Benfica came out fired up, pushing hard for an equalizer. They got it through a penalty — a soft one, if you ask me — awarded after Malo Gusto was judged to have handled the ball. Angel Di Maria calmly slotted it home, sending us into extra time. At that point, it was anyone’s game.
But then Chelsea turned up the heat. Substitute Christopher Nkunku made a stunning impact, slotting in a brilliant goal. Pedro Neto followed up with a calm finish, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added another to seal the deal. It was an absolute goal fest in extra time, and Chelsea fans finally had something to cheer about after a nervy, delayed affair.
Despite the final scoreline, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Some fans felt the team lacked urgency in the opening 90 minutes — too many side-to-side passes, not enough direct threat. And while Chelsea’s dominance showed in the stats — Benfica had just one shot on target, which was their penalty — there’s still concern about tired legs and risky passing, especially from players like Cucurella.
Then there's the elephant in the room: the weather. The delays across multiple matches in this tournament are raising serious questions. If six games have already been disrupted, what does that say about the preparedness for next summer’s World Cup? Maresca’s frustration is totally understandable. You can’t expect world-class players to sit idle for hours mid-match. It’s not just about safety; it’s about competitive integrity.
But credit where it’s due — Chelsea kept their heads, came back strong, and now move on to the quarter-finals against Palmeiras in Philadelphia. The formation worked, the subs delivered, and despite the heat and hiccups, the Blues are marching on.
Let’s just hope the next round comes with less lightning and a bit more football.
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