New York – Saba:
Chelsea qualified for the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup after defeating Benfica 4-1 in an exciting match that extended into extra time at dawn on Sunday, Sana'a time, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The second round of 16 match of the tournament currently being held in the United States witnessed a lengthy stoppage time of more than 110 minutes, just five minutes before the end of regular time, due to bad weather.
Chelsea opened the scoring through Reece James in the 64th minute, and Argentine star Angel Di Maria equalized for Benfica from a penalty kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time (90+5) after play resumed. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, forcing extra time.
In the second half of extra time, Chelsea imposed their dominance, scoring three consecutive goals through Christopher Nkunku (108th minute), Pedro Neto (115th minute), and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (117th minute).
Benfica finished the match with 10 men from the 92nd minute after defender Gianluca Prestigio was sent off for a second yellow card.
With this result, Chelsea will face Brazilian side Palmeiras in the quarterfinals next Friday.
Two matches will be held this evening in the Round of 16. The first will pit Paris Saint-Germain against Inter Miami, led by Argentine star Lionel Messi, against his former team. The second will pit Bayern Munich against Flamengo.
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