BENFICA 1-4 CHELSEA (AET): The Premier League club secured a spot in the last eight of FIFA’s Club World Cup after a crazy finish to a game delayed four nearly two hours
Chelsea finally saw off Benfica with a late goal rush to reach the Club World Cup quarter finals after one of the craziest games you will ever see.
The last 16 clash turned into a complete farce when it was delayed for nearly TWO HOURS because of lightning storms and a severe weather warning and eventually took four hours and 38 minutes to complete after kick-off.
Incredibly, Chelsea were just six minutes from victory when their players were ordered off the pitch as they had to take cover in the dressing room while the fans were also evacuated from the stands for one hour and 53 minutes until the game restarted.
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But then when the match eventually restarted, Benfica snatched a dramatic 95th minute equaliser when Angel Di Maria scored from the spot after a highly controversial penalty was given against Malo Gusto.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was sent off for a second yellow card in extra time and then Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored in extra time to finally settle a madcap, unforgettable game.
Strict US rules mean if there is lightning within a five mile radius then the game is delayed by 30 minutes for safety reasons – and the time delay is then reset every time a bolt is spotted.
The delay seemed to take forever and we barely saw any rain but the weather has been a big eye-opener in this tournament and should serve asa warning before the international World Cup next summer.
The soaring temperatures, storms and huge delays will give FIFA food for thought and you did wonder at certain points whether this game would ever get finished.
You also had to feel for the 25,929 fans in the 75,000 capacity stadium as they waited around for ages – and then eventually got their rewards with a dramatic finish.
Chelsea dominated the game but had to wait until the 64th minute to get a breakthrough. Cole Palmer was fouled out on the left wing, Reece James lined up the set piece and looked as if he going to deliver a cross only then to curl a low shot inside Trubin’s near post.
James does not score very often but when he does, they tend to be spectacular. When James curled a stunning free kick in England’s win over Latvia in March, he did not celebrate out of frustration at the sheer number of injuries he had endured. This time, James did not hold back.
It looked as if Chelsea were heading for a straightforward win until the weather struck – and then the whole thing turned into a farce because of the weather.
Chelsea substitute Gusto conceded a penalty deep into injury time for handball when Nicolas Otamendi’s header hit his arm. It was harsh but a penalty under the rules and Di Maria kept his nerve to send it into extra time.
Prestianni was sent off for a second yellow card for a foul on Levi Colwill as they were reduced to ten men for most of extra time.
Chelsea finally made their numerical advantage pay as first Nkunku pounced on a horrible mix-up and mess in the Benfica six yard box.
Then Pedro Neto and substitute Dewsbury-Hall scored in extra time with breakaway goals as Benfica had thrown everything forward.
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