Chelsea pulled off a thrilling 4-1 extra time victory over Benfica in the FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 at Bank of America Stadium.
Reece James put Chelsea ahead in the 64th minute with a curling free kick that left keeper Anatolii Trubin rooted to the spot. But Benfica fought back late: Malo Gusto's handball led to an Angel Di Maria penalty in stoppage time, forcing extra time.
A lightning storm had paused the match in the 86th minute and triggered a two-hour delay, turning the game into a near five-hour marathon.
In extra time, Gianluca Prestianni's red card left Benfica down to 10 men. Moises Caicedo's drive was parried, but Christopher Nkunku pounced on the rebound in the 108th minute, firing into the top corner to break the deadlock.
Emboldened, Chelsea struck twice more: Pedro Neto rifled home in the 115th minute and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall capped the win deep in extra time.
Chelsea now gears up to face Palmeiras in the quarterfinals on Friday in Philadelphia, riding a wave of momentum and resilience.
Reference(s):
Chelsea score 3 goals in extra time to beat Benfica at Club World Cup
cgtn.com
