Chelsea bounced back strongly from their defeat to Flamengo to book their place in the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup with a convincing 3-0 win over Esperance de Tunis at Lincoln Financial Field on the morning of June 25. It was their fifth clean sheet in their last six outings.
In the hottest weather in Philadelphia since 1994, a much-changed Chelsea side, missing Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto, struggled to get off to a solid start against a resolute Esperance defence. The North Africans seemed to adapt to the weather better, showing more incisiveness in attack, but were unable to create clear-cut chances in a cautious game. Liam Delap had the first shot on target of the game in the 15th minute, but his effort from the edge of the box was easily saved by goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said.
The Esperance goalkeeper then had to work harder to keep out Josh Acheampong's fierce shot, but was left powerless by Tosin Adarabioyo's powerful header in the third minute of first-half stoppage time to put Chelsea 1-0 up. Set-pieces had been expected to be the most obvious route for the Blues to find the net, and that was proven when Adarabioyo was unmarked after Enzo Fernandez's pinpoint pass.
Chelsea players celebrate after Delap scores (Photo: Getty).
Going behind was a huge challenge for Esperance, with only two of their previous 14 games having seen both teams score. The challenge was made all the more difficult when Liam Delap showed his superior strength and control, beating one defender, then another, before finishing with a fine finish into the far corner for his first Chelsea goal and doubling the home side’s lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Enzo Maresca's side dealt Esperance a double blow in first-half stoppage time, leaving their opponents demoralised and lethargic for the remainder of the game. Although Chelsea maintained their confidence and dominance, chances to extend their lead were repeatedly missed in the second half. Enzo Fernandez and Christopher Nkunku both had promising runs but failed to find the net, while Noni Madueke's shot went wide of the far post.
Coach Maresca stood watching his players compete (Photo: Getty).
The pace of the match slowed down as Maresca made several changes to save his players for the knockout stages. However, one of the substitutes, Tyrique George, shone with a third goal in injury time, his long-range strike beating goalkeeper Ben Said. With that result, Chelsea will advance to the round of 16 and face Benfica. Meanwhile, Esperance officially bowed out of the group stage after suffering a sixth defeat in nine matches at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/chelsea-ung-dung-gianh-suat-di-tiep-tai-fifa-club-world-cup-20250625112237429.htm
Comment (0)