Chelsea booked their place in the FIFA Club World Cup final with a dominant 2-0 victory over Brazil’s Fluminense at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday night, powered by a sensational brace from new signing Joao Pedro.
The Brazilian forward, facing his boyhood club, opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a curling effort into the far post after a loose clearance.
His second came early in the second half, a thunderous strike that smashed in off the crossbar, sealing a dream starting debut for the former Brighton man on the world stage.
Despite the scoreline, the game was anything but one-sided. Fluminense had their chances — notably through Hercules and Agustin Canobbio — but were denied by a combination of poor finishing and last-ditch Chelsea defending, including a remarkable goal-line clearance from Marc Cucurella in the first half.
Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez had nervy moments, spilling a late shot which Keno fired wide, but ultimately kept a clean sheet. Meanwhile, veteran defenders Thiago Silva and Fabio stood out for Fluminense, with Silva even denying a certain Nkunku goal with a superb block.
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Enzo Maresca’s side managed the game well in the second half, making several changes to maintain intensity, including bringing on Dewsbury-Hall, Reece James, and Nicolas Jackson.
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The result sees Chelsea advance to the Club World Cup final for the first time since 2022, when they lifted the trophy.
They will now face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in what promises to be a heavyweight clash.
The final is set for Sunday, 14 July.
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