Chelsea secured a 4-1 victory over Benfica in extra time on Saturday, earning a spot in the Club World Cup quarter-finals after a chaotic last-16 encounter delayed by severe weather.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the added period sealed the win for the Premier League side, who now advance to face Brazilian club Palmeiras.
The match at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina took a staggering four hours and 39 minutes to complete, following a nearly two-hour delay caused by a storm.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was pleased with the result but criticised the lengthy interruption.
“I think it’s a joke, it’s not football,” Maresca said. “For 85 minutes we controlled the game. We had enough chances to win. Then after the delay, everything changed — for me, that’s not football.”
Earlier, Reece James appeared to have won it for Chelsea with a well-placed free-kick, putting them 1-0 ahead with just four minutes left in regular time.
However, a sudden storm over Charlotte brought play to a halt as safety protocols were triggered — marking the sixth time weather had interrupted a game during this tournament.
“If you’re stopping six, seven, eight matches due to weather, then clearly something’s not working,” Maresca added. “That’s not normal in football.”
When play eventually resumed, Benfica found a lifeline after VAR ruled Malo Gusto had handled in the box. Angel Di Maria calmly converted the penalty in stoppage time to force extra time.
Benfica, down to 10 men after Gianluca Prestianni received a second yellow at the end of normal time, still pressed forward early in extra time and looked capable of an upset.
But Chelsea regained the lead when Nkunku bundled in from close range after Moises Caicedo’s shot slipped through Benfica keeper Anatoliy Trubin.
As Benfica pushed forward, they left gaps at the back, and Chelsea took full advantage. Neto finished coolly in the 114th minute after racing through on goal, and Dewsbury-Hall added a fourth just three minutes later to wrap up a wild contest and send Chelsea into the quarter-finals.
