Chelsea booked their place in the FIFA Club World Cup final with a dominant 2-0 victory over Brazil’s Fluminense at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday night, powered by a sensational brace from new signing Joao Pedro.
The Brazilian forward, facing his boyhood club, opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a curling effort into the far post after a loose clearance.
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His second came early in the second half, a thunderous strike that smashed in off the crossbar, sealing a dream starting debut for the former Brighton man on the world stage.
Despite the scoreline, the game was anything but one-sided. Fluminense had their chances — notably through Hercules and Agustin Canobbio — but were denied by a combination of poor finishing and last-ditch Chelsea defending, including a remarkable goal-line clearance from Marc Cucurella in the first half.
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Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez had nervy moments, spilling a late shot which Keno fired wide, but ultimately kept a clean sheet. Meanwhile, veteran defenders Thiago Silva and Fabio stood out for Fluminense, with Silva even denying a certain Nkunku goal with a superb block.
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Enzo Maresca’s side managed the game well in the second half, making several changes to maintain intensity, including bringing on Dewsbury-Hall, Reece James, and Nicolas Jackson.
The result sees Chelsea advance to the Club World Cup final for the first time since 2022, when they lifted the trophy.
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They will now face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in what promises to be a heavyweight clash.
The final is set for Sunday, 14 July.
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