
Chelsea, Palmeiras progress to Club World Cup quarters
Chelsea are through to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, but not without drama.
The Premier League giants beat Benfica 4-1 in a match that was delayed for two hours due to lightning and took nearly five hours to complete in Charlotte.
Chelsea advanced to play Palmeiras after they won the all-Brazilian clash against Botafogo 1-0 earlier on Saturday.
Christopher Nkunku's tiebreaking goal came in the 108th minute with Benfica playing a man down after Gianluca Prestianni received a red card. Moises Caicedo's left-footed shot from the left side of the box was saved by Anatolii Trubin, but an alert Nkunku was there to bury the deflection into the top right corner.
Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added insurance goals in extra-time for the final margin.
Reece James scored a free kick in the 64th minute to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
But with four minutes left in regulation, the match was stopped. And when the teams returned, Chelsea were called for a handball and Angel Di Maria converted the penalty to level for the Portuguese side.
"Very proud, the performance for me was top until 85 minutes when they stopped the game and it started a completely different game," said Chelsea manager Enzo 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."
In Philadelphia, Palmeiras edged out Botafogo with an extra-time winner from Paulinho in the opening tie of the knockout stage.
At the end of the first half, Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios forced Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor into a flying save.
Chelsea-bound Palmeiras forward Estevao saw a goal ruled out for offside five minutes into the second half, before Victor tipped over a glancing header from Mauricio.
Palmeiras made the decisive breakthrough in the 10th minute of extra-time when substitute Paulinho cut into the penalty area from the right and clipped a low shot into the far corner.
Botafogo carved out an opening early in the second period of extra-time when Igor Jesus headed over and Vitinho then crashed a volley wide at the far post.
Palmeiras were reduced to 10 men with four minutes remaining when captain Gustavo Gomez was shown a second yellow card following an off-the-ball tussle with Alexander Barboza.
With Reuters.
Chelsea are through to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, but not without drama.
The Premier League giants beat Benfica 4-1 in a match that was delayed for two hours due to lightning and took nearly five hours to complete in Charlotte.
Chelsea advanced to play Palmeiras after they won the all-Brazilian clash against Botafogo 1-0 earlier on Saturday.
Christopher Nkunku's tiebreaking goal came in the 108th minute with Benfica playing a man down after Gianluca Prestianni received a red card. Moises Caicedo's left-footed shot from the left side of the box was saved by Anatolii Trubin, but an alert Nkunku was there to bury the deflection into the top right corner.
Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added insurance goals in extra-time for the final margin.
Reece James scored a free kick in the 64th minute to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
But with four minutes left in regulation, the match was stopped. And when the teams returned, Chelsea were called for a handball and Angel Di Maria converted the penalty to level for the Portuguese side.
"Very proud, the performance for me was top until 85 minutes when they stopped the game and it started a completely different game," said Chelsea manager Enzo 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."
In Philadelphia, Palmeiras edged out Botafogo with an extra-time winner from Paulinho in the opening tie of the knockout stage.
At the end of the first half, Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios forced Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor into a flying save.
Chelsea-bound Palmeiras forward Estevao saw a goal ruled out for offside five minutes into the second half, before Victor tipped over a glancing header from Mauricio.
Palmeiras made the decisive breakthrough in the 10th minute of extra-time when substitute Paulinho cut into the penalty area from the right and clipped a low shot into the far corner.
Botafogo carved out an opening early in the second period of extra-time when Igor Jesus headed over and Vitinho then crashed a volley wide at the far post.
Palmeiras were reduced to 10 men with four minutes remaining when captain Gustavo Gomez was shown a second yellow card following an off-the-ball tussle with Alexander Barboza.
With Reuters.
Chelsea are through to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, but not without drama.
The Premier League giants beat Benfica 4-1 in a match that was delayed for two hours due to lightning and took nearly five hours to complete in Charlotte.
Chelsea advanced to play Palmeiras after they won the all-Brazilian clash against Botafogo 1-0 earlier on Saturday.
Christopher Nkunku's tiebreaking goal came in the 108th minute with Benfica playing a man down after Gianluca Prestianni received a red card. Moises Caicedo's left-footed shot from the left side of the box was saved by Anatolii Trubin, but an alert Nkunku was there to bury the deflection into the top right corner.
Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added insurance goals in extra-time for the final margin.
Reece James scored a free kick in the 64th minute to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
But with four minutes left in regulation, the match was stopped. And when the teams returned, Chelsea were called for a handball and Angel Di Maria converted the penalty to level for the Portuguese side.
"Very proud, the performance for me was top until 85 minutes when they stopped the game and it started a completely different game," said Chelsea manager Enzo 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."
In Philadelphia, Palmeiras edged out Botafogo with an extra-time winner from Paulinho in the opening tie of the knockout stage.
At the end of the first half, Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios forced Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor into a flying save.
Chelsea-bound Palmeiras forward Estevao saw a goal ruled out for offside five minutes into the second half, before Victor tipped over a glancing header from Mauricio.
Palmeiras made the decisive breakthrough in the 10th minute of extra-time when substitute Paulinho cut into the penalty area from the right and clipped a low shot into the far corner.
Botafogo carved out an opening early in the second period of extra-time when Igor Jesus headed over and Vitinho then crashed a volley wide at the far post.
Palmeiras were reduced to 10 men with four minutes remaining when captain Gustavo Gomez was shown a second yellow card following an off-the-ball tussle with Alexander Barboza.
With Reuters.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Optus Sport customers to receive discounts after transfer of Premier League broadcast rights to Stan
Existing Optus Sport customers are set to receive discounted pricing to watch the English Premier League after the transfer of broadcast rights to Stan. Nine's Stan Sport streaming service will begin airing the football content from August 1, the date when Optus Sport shuts down, ending a nine-year run. The new Premier League season kicks off on August 16. It is yet to be determined whether any football content will be broadcast on Nine's free to air channels at this stage. Stan is paying Optus Sport an up-front fee of $20 million and making a contribution toward the first payment for the next Premier League rights cycles. The agreement also includes the rights to FA Cup games, Japan's and the US National Women's Soccer League. "The Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet, and alongside the FA Cup, this acquisition reinforces Nine's position as the home of sport in Australia," Nine CEO Matt Stanton said in a statement. "We are proud to deliver these iconic competitions to Australian audiences through Stan Sport." Under the agreement, Optus Sport customers who remain Optus telecommunications customers will be provided discounted pricing from Stan. Existing customers will receive detailed information and special offers in coming days to ensure the transition to Stan is as simple as possible. Optus CEO Stephen Rue said the decision to transfer the Premier League broadcast rights comes as the company shifts its focus to Optus's core operations in telecommunications, its commitment to customers, and unlocking further value for the business in its future. "Optus Sport has delivered outstanding sports broadcasting to Australian football lovers for almost a decade," Rue said in a statement. "One of our key priorities was to find a home for Optus Sport content which would take the game forward and enable all Optus Sport subscribers to continue to receive uninterrupted access to all their favourite football action. "Optus Sport customers and the game of football will be in great hands at Stan, and we know the game will receive the broadcasting priority it deserves from an organisation whose speciality is delivering quality sports programming to its customers." Existing Optus Sport customers will still be able access the broadcast of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 tournament, which commences on July 3. ABC/AAP


Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Stan Sport buys rights to air English Premier League
Nine has bought the media rights agreements to English Premier League and Emirates FA Cup games from Stan Sport and the streaming service will shut down after a nine-year run. Nine's Stan Sport streaming service begin airing the football content from August 1, the date when Optus Sport shuts down. Stan is paying Optus Sport an upfront fee of $20 million and making a contribution toward the first payment for the next Premier League rights cycles. "This marks a step change in Nine's digital growth strategy," said Nine CEO Matt Stanton. "The Premier League is the most-watched football league on the planet, and alongside the Emirates FA Cup, this acquisition reinforces Nine's position as the home of sport in Australia. We are proud to deliver these iconic competitions to Australian audiences." The agreement also includes the rights to Japan's and the US National Women's Soccer League. Nine said it would be communicating with Optus Sport customers to ensure a seamless transition to Stan Sport. "We have enjoyed every moment producing world-class content for football fans in Australia and around the globe and though it's the end of an unforgettable era here at Optus Sport we are excited for the future of football in Australia," Optus Sport said on its website.


7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Carlton defender Jack Silvagni in doubt for clash against Collingwood
Carlton's woes threaten to worsen with important key defender Jack Silvagni in serious doubt for Friday night's date with Collingwood. 7NEWS understands the 27-year-old pulled up sore from the Blues' drubbing at the hands of Port Adelaide with his ongoing groin complaint. Silvagni was part of the rehab program which trained away from the main group at IKON Park on Monday morning. And there are fears a potential stint on the sidelines could extend into multiple weeks with games against Brisbane, Melbourne and Hawthorn to come. Silvagni was subbed out of the Round 10 loss to Sydney with a groin injury and missed the following week before the Blues' mid-season bye. He played just six minutes of the final term against the Power. The son-of-a-gun, who has this season switched from attack to defence, is one of few Blues to have improved in a disastrous 2025 campaign. The Blues sit three-and-a-half games outside the eight with eight matches remaining. Silvagni this year qualifies for unrestricted free agency, however is in contract talks to extend his deal. His latest concern comes as Jacob Weitering nurses an ankle complaint that hobbled his output against the Power. The All-Australian defender was with the main group on Monday morning. Half-back Adam Saad will miss against the Pies after he was concussed last Thursday. Teenage key back Harry O'Farrell was a travelling emergency for the trip to Adelaide and will be in the frame should Silvagni miss. O'Farrell debuted when Silvagni was sidelined in Round 11. Under-siege coach Michael Voss would also have the option of moving Mitch McGovern back to defence full-time or asking Nick Haynes to play taller against the Pies. Craig McRae's side went with four genuine key forwards in Saturday night's win against West Coast — Brody Mihocek, Tim Membrey, Dan McStay and debutant Charlie West. Carlton is currently without Harry McKay (knee), Sam Walsh (foot), Nic Newman (knee) and Matt Cottrell (foot) from its first-choice line-up.