Chelsea has advanced to the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a convincing 3-0 win over Tunisian champions, Esperance.
The Blues secured second place in Group D behind Brazilian giants Flamengo, who finished top of the group.
A dominant performance saw Tosin Adarabioyo and Liam Delap find the net in first-half stoppage time, effectively sealing the victory before Tyrique George notched a third goal in injury time.
The match was played under very challenging conditions, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) late into the evening.
Despite the heat, Chelsea dominated the game, with Adarabioyo and Delap scoring crucial goals in stoppage time.
Delap’s goal marked his first for Chelsea, and he expressed his delight after the match, with coach Enzo Maresca praising the young striker, saying, “We know Liam is going to score goals with us, we don’t have any doubts about that.”
Chelsea will now face Benfica in the last 16, a team they have a historic win against in the 2013 Europa League final.
This will be a first meeting of the clubs since then, and the winner will play either Palmeiras or Botafogo of Brazil in the last eight.
Maresca is confident of his team’s chances, saying, “Benfica is a top club with a top manager and top players and it is going to be tough, but from 32 we are now in the last 16 and the next target is to try to be in the last eight.”
The match saw Chelsea control the game, but Esperance had their chances, with Acheampong coming close with a shot saved by the goalkeeper.
The Tunisian side needed a win to progress, but Chelsea’s goals in stoppage time effectively ended their hopes.
George’s third goal in injury time sealed the win for Chelsea, who will look to build on this performance in their next match against Benfica.
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