Club WC: Chelsea ease past Esperance to advance to knockouts

Philadelphia, June 25 (IANS) Chelsea FC beat Esperance 3-0 at Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday (IST) to qualify for the knockout stage of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

With CR Flamengo having already won Group D to advance, the Blues next face Group C winners SL Benfica in Charlotte on 28 June, after the Portuguese side secured top spot with a 1-0 victory against FC Bayern Munchen.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca made eight changes the team that had lost 3-1 to Flamengo. With the Londoners only needing a draw to go through and Espérance sitting back and looking to counter, the circumstances made for an uneventful first half until Chelsea struck twice before half-time.

Enzo Fernandez played provider on both goals. In the third minute of stoppage time, the Argentinian midfielder chipped a free-kick to Tosin Adarabioyo, whose free header in the box dropped inside the far post.

Espérance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said was left standing again two minutes later. Fernandez lofted a ball to newly signed striker Liam Delap, who turned his marker and dribbled into space to slot a shot into the open net for a 2-0 Blues advantage.

Maresca used the second half to play some of Chelsea's bright young talents. Midfielder Dario Essugo and striker Marc Guiu came off the bench in the 59th minute, and winger Tyrique George and midfielder Andrey Santos entered the game in the 67th minute. Defender Mamadou Sarr was an 82nd-minute substitute.

George made it 3-0 Chelsea with a blistering strike just before the final whistle.

The outcome was never in doubt after those late first-half goals, and the Blues head into that Benfica showdown in Charlotte with confidence restored.

Elsewhere, CA Boca Juniors exited the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 as Auckland City FC scored their first goal at the tournament and collected a hugely unexpected first point in Nashville.

Wallace Yan secured a dramatic last-gasp draw for CR Flamengo, just two minutes after Denis Bouanga thought he had grabbed LAFC's first victory of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. This game was a dead rubber, with LAFC already eliminated and Flamengo confirmed as Group D winners.

--IANS

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