Chelsea scored three times in the second period of extra-time to hand 10-man Benfica a 4-1 defeat in Charlotte in their weather-affected last 16 Club World Cup clash on Saturday as the English side set up a quarter-final meeting with Brazil’s Palmeiras.

Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored in a nine-minute spell to take Enzo Maresca’s side through after the teams had been forced off the pitch for almost two hours due to a lightning storm.

Chelsea had taken the lead through Reece James in the 64th minute and, after the teams returned to the field, Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was sent off two minutes into injury time.

But Angel di Maria scored from the penalty spot three minutes later to take the game into extra-time, from where Chelsea eventually prevailed to set up their meeting with Palmeiras on Friday.

“Very proud, the performance for me was top until 85 minutes when they stopped the game and it started a completely different game,” said Maresca.

“When you are inside for more than one hour, it’s not easy, but 1-1 and then we continued to play and the reward was the one that we deserved.”

Chelsea captain James showcased his set-piece prowess to give the Premier League side the lead, breaking the deadlock in the 64th minute when he curled home a sublime free kick.

The match was halted five minutes from time due to a lightning storm near the Bank of America Stadium, activating the weather protocol and resulting in a break of almost two hours as teams and supporters were moved out of exposed areas.

Upon the teams’ return, Prestianni was sent off for a second bookable offence seven minutes after the restart, but Benfica were given hope when di Maria scored from the penalty spot following Malo Gusto’s handball.

Chelsea, though, made the most of their one-man advantage in extra-time.

Nkunku put Chelsea back in front three minutes into the second period when he lifted the ball over Nicolas Otamendi with an astute finish after Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin had blocked Moises Caicedo’s initial shot.

Six minutes later Neto hit Chelsea’s third with a composed finish as he raced in on goal, having been found by Caicedo. Dewsbury-Hall completed the scoring in the 117th minute when he was released into space by Cole Palmer.

-Reuters

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The gulf between South American and European teams may not be as wide as expected at the Club World Cup, but a clear gap still exists in their efficiency in front of goal, according to FIFA technical experts.

Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, and Juergen Klinsmann, former Germany and U.S. national team coach, were speaking at a round table on Saturday as the tournament enters its knockout phase.

“At the start of the competition, many opponents seemed to fear playing against the European teams,” Wenger said.

“But as things progressed – especially the Brazilians – they began to realise it might not be so different after all.”

Flamengo and Botafogo beat European teams during the group phase of the 32-team competition, with the latter’s 1-0 victory over European champions Paris St Germain standing out.

Wenger said growing belief, especially among Brazilian sides, has shifted the dynamic heading into the last 16.

“Maybe it’s also because they’ve gained the confidence to do it. That shift in mindset could mean we’ll see a different Brazil in the knockout stage than we saw in the group phase,” he added.

The Frenchman highlighted the influence of Filipe Luis, whose Flamengo side showed what Wenger called the most European tactical profile among South American sides at the tournament.

“Filipe has … played in Europe, and you can see that in the way his team approaches the game,” Wenger said.

GAP CLOSING

Wenger and Klinsmann said South American clubs were quickly closing the gap in infrastructure and preparation.

“When we visited the teams, we saw delegations of up to 100 people – support staff, analysts, advisors,” Wenger said. “With squads of 23 to 35 players, these clubs are now fully professional in every department. That level of preparation allows teams to learn quickly.”

The key difference, however, remains in execution.

“In the final third, European clubs are simply more clinical,” Wenger said.

Klinsmann agreed, saying the real divide lies in mentality.

“Experience is also a big part of quality,” he said. “When is a club like Pachuca or Monterrey (of Mexico) playing in a tournament like this?”

Drawing on his time as U.S. national coach, Klinsmann stressed the importance of testing players outside their comfort zones.

“That’s why I always said, ‘Get us into Copa America. Get us into Europe’. That’s the kind of competition that develops a winning mentality,” he said.

“If this tournament were held again next year, Pachuca would be a different team – more confident, more refined.

“But they have to be more clinical. When you’re in the box, it’s your head that makes the decision, not just your feet. And that’s the difference.”

With the round of 16 underway on Saturday, analysts said the knockout stages would offer a clearer picture of how much ground South American teams have made up, tactically and psychologically.

“We might see very different attitudes now,” Wenger said.

Flamengo face Bayern Munich on Sunday and Inter Milan meet Fluminense on Monday.

-Reuters

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Cristiano Ronaldo preferred to take a rest rather than play in the revamped Club World Cup, the Portuguese international said on Saturday after renewing his contract with Al-Nassr.

The Saudi Pro League club announced on Thursday that Ronaldo had signed a two-year contract which would keep him at the club past his 42nd birthday.

Speculation over the 40-year-old’s plans intensified last month when FIFA President Gianni Infantino said discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the Club World Cup, despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify.

“I had some offers to play in the World Cup but I think it didn’t make sense because I prefer to have a good rest, a good preparation, because this season will be very long as it is the World Cup season at the end of the year,” Ronaldo said in a video posted by Al-Nassr on X.

“I want to be ready not only for Al-Nassr but also for the national team. So, this is why I decided to play the last game for the Nations League and not listen to anything,” he added.

“And of course, to be in this club, which I love”.

Ronaldo scored for Portugal in the Nations League final against Spain earlier this month which ended 2-2 before his side went on to beat the European champions on penalties.

The Portugal captain said his aim in staying at Al-Nassr was to win a major trophy with the Riyadh-based side.

“My goal, it’s always to win something important for Al-Nassr. And of course I still believe in that” Ronaldo added.

“This is why I renewed the two years more because I believe that I will be a champion in Saudi Arabia”.

Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in 2022 after leaving Manchester United as a free agent, has scored 93 goals in 105 appearances for them in all competitions.

Ronaldo is also eyeing the 1,000-goal milestone in his career. He has scored 794 goals in club football and 138 for Portugal to take his tally to 932.

-Reuters

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