Chelsea progress into Club World Cup quarter-finals as storm suspension mars match | OneFootball

Round of 16 encounter was suspended for an hour with concerns over adverse weather

Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Malik Ouzia

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Chelsea finally reached the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup with an extraordinary 4-1 victory over Benfica in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cucurella was also denied by a heroic Antonio Silva clearance off the line as the left-back chopped inside to evade a sliding challenge and struck with his right boot, but the young centre-back was on hand to power it to safety.

Bruno Lage’s Benfica, meanwhile, had limited efforts on the Chelsea goal, with Robert Sanchez hardly tested. There was one cross-shot from Frederik Aursnes in the second half that the Spaniard misjudged, expecting a simple delivery from the makeshift right-back, which he had stepped off his line for. The former Brighton ‘keeper had to scramble back to claw the ball off his line, but that was as close as the Liga Portugal side came to notching a goal before the weather warning.

Gilt-edged, golden opportunities were few and far between in the second half, and the game needed a moment of magic to really spark it into life.

Starved of service: Liam Delap

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Thankfully, James was on hand to provide it. With an angled free kick on the edge of the Benfica box, Trubin was caught out by the right-back at his near post. The Benfica goalkeeper expected a fizzed delivery, but James stunned him by whipping the ball inside the near post to open the scoring on 64 minutes.

Liam Delap led the line for Chelsea once more in place of the suspended Nicolas Jackson, but he was starved of any real quality service.

The summer signing had the ball in the net as he broke clear on goal, rounding Trubin and finishing neatly into the far corner, but his celebrations were curtailed by the offside flag.

Confusion swept around the Bank of America Stadium as the referee hauled both sets of players off in the 86th minute, with the big screen indicating that a weather warning had come into effect, and that everyone needed to head for cover with a storm on the horizon, and grey clouds ominously looming over the Charlotte skyline.

Play continued two hours later, and Benfica flew out of the traps revitalised; rejuvenated, led by the indefatigable Angel Di Maria.

They were awarded a dubious penalty when Malo Gusto was adjudged to have handled Nicolas Otamendi’s knockdown, and Di Maria duly converted the resulting spot-kick.

Into extra time we went, but the momentum shifted in Chelsea’s favour, as substitute Gianluca Prestianni was dismissed for a second yellow after a challenge on Palmer followed his earlier caution in the dying embers of regulation time.

Chelsea initially struggled to make their man advantage count, with Benfica pushing hard for an unlikely winner.

However, it was that extreme mentality that was their downfall, as the Blues caught their counterparts cold on the counter three times.

First, Moises Caicedo imperiously won possession in centre-field, finding Palmer, before continuing his dart and supporting the Englishman. He was found on the overlap, setting up Christopher Nkunku, who stabbed home at the second attempt to eke Chelsea ahead once more and send Maresca sprinting down the touchline in wild jubilation.

The third came as Neto strode away from the slowing Benfica defence, slotting calmly into the corner, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added the cherry on top with a cheeky chip, giving that final gloss to the scoreline.

Chelsea face Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.