Chelsea beat 10-man Benfica thanks to three late extra-time goals in an extraordinary Club World Cup last-16 match that lasted more than four hours and included a near two-hour delay for extreme weather.
2025 Club World Cup
1-4
Match Report
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the second half of extra time in Charlotte, North Carolina eventually saw Chelsea through to the quarter-finals.
The Premier League side had been heading for an uneventful victory, with Reece James' brilliant near-post free-kick in the 64th minute looking like the winner.
However, with just four minutes left, players were taken off the pitch due to thunderstorms in the area and, when the teams eventually returned after nearly two hours, Benfica scored with their first shot on target to take the game into extra time.
Angel di Maria, playing his final game for Benfica, converted from the penalty spot in the 94th minute after a Chelsea handball to make it 1-1.
Two yellow cards in the 96th minute and first minute of extra time saw youngster Gianluca Prestianni sent off, the latter for a late challenge on Levi Colwill.
And Chelsea made the man advantage pay eventually, as they set up a Friday quarter-final in Philadelphia against Brazil's Palmeiras.
There was a crowd of only 25,929 in the 74,867-capacity Bank of America Stadium for the game, which saw Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile injured - he left the ground on crutches - and star midfielder Moises Caicedo pick up a second booking of the campaign to earn a one-match suspension.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
1' Neto beats his man and gets into box where his shot is straight at Trubin
10' Trubin is on hand to make a diving save to deny Palmer’s cross come shot!
16' Schjelderup and Di Maria combine well, but James thwarts Schjelderup in the box!
19' CLOSE! Cucurella curls a shot but Silva is there to head it off the line
21' Palmer slams a shot towards the near post which Anatolii Trubin tips wide
30' The referee stops play for a cooling break
34' Florentino steps on Cucurella but the referee says nothing
39' CHANCE! Trubin sticks out his arms to deny Marc Cucurella's effort
46' Caicedo suffers a heavy collision in midfield and needs treatment
47' Otamendi gets to Palmer's cross before Delap to get the ball out for a corner
49' Caicedo shoots from way downtown but his 30-yard drilled effort fizzes just wide
60' Aursnes cross as Sanchez off his line but he manages to turn around and save it
64' GOAL! Reece James' free-kick opens the scoring! Benfica 0-1 Chelsea
70' Badiashile does well against Pavlidis but is later substituted due to injury
79' Prestianni rushes a shot after being picked out in the box and it bobbles wide
82' Delap runs onto Cucurella's through ball and slots in but he's offside
86' Andrea Belotti hacks down Romeo Lavia and is lucky not to be booked
88' With a thunderstorm due, the game suspended with only four minutes left
89' The players are coming out and warming up! The match will restart in two minutes
90+5' Penalty Goal! Di Maria equalizes at the last moment! Benfica 1-1 Chelsea
92' Second Yellow Card! Prestianni sent off right after the kick-off of extra time
97' Akturkoglu's swept effort is an easy one for Robert Sanchez
104' Cucurella picks out Cole Palmer, who sees his shot saved
108' GOAL! Nkunku gets the rebound and slots it in! Benfica 1-2 Chelsea
114' GOAL! Neto curls into the net to almost kill the game! Benfica 1-3 Chelsea
117' GOAL! Dewsbury-Hall runs through one on one and scores! Benfica 1-4 Chelsea
Line-ups
Benfica XI: Di Maria, Otamendi, Fredrik Aursnes, Vangelis Pavlidis, Florentino, Leandro Barreiro, Orkun Kökçü, Anatoliy Trubin, Samuel Dahl, Andreas Schjelderup, António Silva
Subs: Bruma, Belotti, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Tiago Gouveia, Adrian Bajrami, Álvaro Carreras, Rafael Luís, João Veloso, Diogo Prioste, Gianluca Prestianni, João Rego, Joshua Wynder, Gonçalo Oliveira, Diogo Ferreira, Leandro Santos
Chelsea XI: Cucurella, Reece James, Robert Sánchez, Pedro Neto, Badiashile, Cole Palmer, Enzo, Caicedo, Colwill, Liam Delap, Lavia
Subs: Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Madueke, Gabriel Slonina, Gusto, Dário Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, Andrey Santos, Josh Acheampong, Tyrique George, Mike Penders, Guiu, Aarón Anselmino