In a dramatic Benfica vs Chelsea match, Chelsea won 4-1 in extra time to reach the CWC (Club World Cup) quarter-finals on Saturday.
The match was full of drama — heavy rain and storms delayed the game for almost two hours. The total time to complete the match was nearly five hours, making it one of the longest in recent Club World Cup history.
Chelsea started strong and looked ready to win when Reece James scored from a clever free-kick, putting his team 1-0 ahead with only four minutes left in normal time.
But just as Chelsea was getting ready to celebrate, bad weather hit Charlotte, North Carolina, where the game was being played at the Bank of America Stadium. The game had to be stopped due to safety rules.
When play finally restarted, Benfica got a late penalty after a VAR check showed Malo Gusto had handled the ball. Veteran Angel Di Maria calmly scored the spot-kick to make it 1-1 and take the match into extra time.
In extra time, Chelsea stepped up. Christopher Nkunku scored first, followed by Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Their goals made the score 4-1 and confirmed Chelsea’s place in the quarter-finals, where they will face Brazil’s Palmeiras.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was happy with the result but criticized the delay, saying it didn’t feel like real football.
This match was the sixth one in the CWC to be affected by weather. Maresca pointed out that frequent delays suggest something is not working properly.
Despite tough weather and a long night, Chelsea stayed focused and showed their strength by finishing strong in extra time.
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