Jackson sent off as Flamengo comeback to beat Chelsea | OneFootball

Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign took a major blow as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against Flamengo in Philadelphia.

Enzo Maresca’s men looked to be in control early on, taking the lead in the 13th minute. Pedro Neto pounced on a fortunate deflection, burst through the Flamengo backline, and finished coolly past Rossi to notch his second goal of the tournament.

But despite the strong start, the Blues never really settled into the game. Flamengo began to grow in confidence and created several chances before the break.

Levi Colwill had to clear off the line, and Robert Sanchez made a couple of important stops to keep the Blues in front, though it always felt a bit nervy.

Things started to unravel in the second half. Gonzalo Plata headed a deep cross back into the danger area, and substitute Bruno Henrique was there at the far post to tap in the equaliser.

Just minutes later, the Brazilian side turned the game on its head. A dangerous corner caused panic in the Chelsea box, and once again Henrique played a key role as his header across goal found former Man City Danilo, who stretched to prod it home, sparking wild celebrations in the stands.

And the night got even worse for Chelsea. Nicolas Jackson, who had only just come on, was sent off for a rash studs-up challenge, piling misery onto what had become a disastrous few minutes.

Flamengo weren’t done. With time running out, 20-year-old Wallace Yan came off the bench, combined with Plata inside the box, and after a lucky deflection, found himself with the ball at his feet. He made no mistake, wrapping up a deserved victory for the Brazilians and leaving Chelsea with plenty to think about.

The result puts Flamengo firmly at the top of Group D with six points from two matches, while Chelsea remain second with three.

Esperance de Tunis and Los Angeles FC are still without a point, but both are in action later tonight at 11pm.