Chelsea reach Club World Cup final
Chelsea 2 - 0 Fluminense
Chelsea advanced to the Club World Cup final with a composed win over Fluminense
Author | Lewis W
Stadium | MetLife Stadium
Joao Pedro marked his full debut with a brace against the club he supported as a boy.
A closer look at what happened
The £55m signing from Brighton opened the scoring after 18 minutes, curling a precise effort beyond Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio after Thiago Silva failed to deal with Pedro Neto’s cross. His second, a thunderous strike that clipped the underside of the bar, came 11 minutes into the second half and effectively ended the contest.
Christopher Nkunku might have extended the lead, while at the other end Marc Cucurella was alert to clear Hercules’ goalbound effort and substitute Everaldo drew a strong save.
The Brazilian side were left frustrated after referee François Letexier reversed a first-half penalty decision for a handball by Trevoh Chalobah following a VAR review. But once Chelsea had edged ahead, they rarely looked troubled in front of a near-capacity crowd at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where temperatures soared above 35C.
There was late concern for Mauricio Pochettino’s side as Moisés Caicedo appeared to suffer an ankle injury in stoppage time and was forced off before the final whistle.
Chelsea will now face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final at the same venue.
Which players stood out for Chelsea
Joao Pedro, who scored both goals and collected the official man of the match award, was a clear standout. But Pedro Neto ran him close. The winger was a constant threat throughout and, after a string of strong showings, may yet emerge as the tournament’s standout player.
Enzo Fernández and Marc Cucurella also delivered assured performances, while Christopher Nkunku, despite ongoing speculation about his future, produced what was arguably his most convincing display of the year.
