📅 Match Context & Conditions
- Event: FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16
- Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, USA
- Kick-off: 4pm local; extended to nearly 9pm due to lightning suspension foxsports.com+14thesun.co.uk+14sportsmole.co.uk+14si.comonefootball.com+6aljazeera.com+6mykhel.com+6
🕰️ Match Timeline & Key Episodes
First Half
- Chelsea dominated early, with Marc Cucurella hitting the post and Cole Palmer forcing a key save from Anatoliy Trubin as.com+10si.com+10aljazeera.com+10.
- Reece James unleashed a superb free-kick in the 64th minute, curling the ball inside the near post to give Chelsea the lead thesun.ie+5aljazeera.com+5portugoal.net+5.
Weather Delay
- With time running down, play was halted in the 85th minute due to lightning nearby, forcing players and fans off for nearly two hours onefootball.com+15thesun.co.uk+15theguardian.com+15.
Return & Benfica’s Comeback
- Resuming deep into stoppage time, a handball by substitute Malo Gusto led to a VAR-awarded penalty, calmly converted by Ángel Di María, leveling at 1–1 espn.co.uk+15thesun.co.uk+15as.com+15.
Extra Time
- Early in ET, Gianluca Prestianni was sent off for a second yellow, reducing Benfica to 10 men as.com+13thesun.co.uk+13chelseafc.com+13.
- With numerical advantage, Chelsea struck quickly:
- 108th′: Christopher Nkunku pounced on a loose Moisés Caicedo effort—1–2 elpais.com+15thesun.co.uk+15chelseafc.com+15.
- 114th′: Pedro Neto exploited his pace to net the third .
- 116th′: Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall sealed the emphatic win at 4–1 as.com+14thesun.co.uk+14aljazeera.com+14.
📊 Final Scorecard
- Full Time: 1–1 (after stoppage-time equalizer)
- After Extra Time: Chelsea 4–1 Benfica
- Goals:
- 64′: Reece James (Chelsea) – Free-kick
- 90+5′: Ángel Di María (Benfica) – Penalty
- 108′: Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea)
- 114′: Pedro Neto (Chelsea)
- 117′: Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall (Chelsea) thesun.ie+15espn.co.uk+15thesun.co.uk+15chelseafc.com
- Card: Prestianni (Benfica) sent off early in ET aljazeera.com+13thesun.co.uk+13mixvale.com.br+13
🎯 Tactical Overview & Key Performers
- Chelsea (Maresca):
- Predominantly dominated possession and chances before the delay aljazeera.com.
- Reece James (8/10 rating) was influential with his set-piece goal foxsports.com+15si.com+15thesun.ie+15.
- Nkunku’s ET strike and momentum shift earned him high acclaim theguardian.com+1onefootball.com+1.
- Neto and Dewsbury‑Hall finished assertively, with Neto earning MOTM ratings foxsports.com+15goal.com+15theguardian.com+15.
- Benfica:
- Trubin kept them alive early with key saves chelseafc.com+7sportsmole.co.uk+7mixvale.com.br+7.
- Di María showcased composure with his late penalty, although his side ultimately faltered en.wikipedia.org+6elpais.com+6onefootball.com+6.
⚠️ Off-Pitch & Environmental Impact
- Enzo Maresca expressed frustration, stating the delay “wasn’t football anymore” and questioning the impact of U.S. weather on tournament credibility si.com+4theguardian.com+4sportsmole.co.uk+4.
- The clash lasted 4 hours and 38 minutes, the longest match of the tournament so far, underlining concerns over weather disruptions in upcoming global events as.com+2elpais.com+2theguardian.com+2.
🔮 What’s Next?
- Chelsea propels into the Club World Cup quarter-finals, facing Palmeiras on July 4 in Philadelphia en.wikipedia.org+9reuters.com+9foxsports.com+9.
- They’ll look to replicate their resilience, though Maresca may rest key players after this grueling victory.
- Benfica, despite defeat, can take hope from their fightback and Di María’s leadership, though they must address late-match discipline.
