Chelsea eliminates Palmeiras and will face Fluminense in the semifinals of the Club World Cup
With a goal from Cole Palmer and a last-minute own goal, the English advance in a duel marked by the tribute to Diogo Jota
Chelsea sealed their pass to the semifinals of the Club World Cup this Friday after beating Palmeiras 1-2 in an intense duel played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in front of 65,782 spectators. The English team dominated much of the match and eventually secured victory with an unfortunate own goal by Agustín Giay in the final minutes.
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The first half was practically a British monologue. Cole Palmer, as he has done in other competitions this season, became the creative linchpin of the London side. The attacking midfielder found space between the lines and knew how to punish the Brazilians' defensive weaknesses.
It was he who opened the scoring in the 28th minute with an elegant left-footed shot, after receiving the ball on the edge of the box and turning with ease.
Palmeiras, without several of their key defensive players, could barely respond. Abel Ferreira, their coach, lamented the absences of Murilo, Gustavo Gómez, and Joaquín Piquerez, which forced a complete reconfiguration of the defense. Even so, they held on until halftime without further penalties.
Brazilian Reaction and Proud Farewell
The second half showed a different side to Palmeiras. Just eight minutes into the second half, Estevao—the young hopeful who has already signed for Chelsea—tied the score with a superb cross from a cross from Richard Ríos. It was an emotional moment, both for the goal and because it was the player's farewell to his current team.
The game, however, fell apart after that goal. Chelsea refreshed their attack with the introduction of Noni Madueke and Joao Pedro, who made his debut just 48 hours after his signing. The constant pressure paid off in the 83rd minute, when a poor clearance from Giay ended up beating goalkeeper Weverton and meaning the winning goal for the Blues.
Beyond the result, the match was marked by emotion. Pedro Neto, a Chelsea regular and close friend of Diogo Jota,paid tribute to the late striker and his brother André Silva during the minute of silence before the match. The stadium held absolute respect in memory of both.