Chelsea have booked their place in the FIFA Club World Cup final with a composed 2–0 win over Brazilian giants Fluminense, thanks to a brilliant brace from new recruit João Pedro.
Just six days into his new contract, 23-year-old Joao Pedro made an instant impact on debut against his boyhood club, opening the scoring in the 18th minute with a composed curling finish from the left side of the box.
Fluminense were left frustrated when a potential first-half penalty initially awarded for a Trevoh Chalobah handball, was reversed following a VAR check. The decision shifted the momentum, and from that point on Chelsea asserted their dominance.
Pedro doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 56th minute, smashing a powerful strike in off the crossbar to all but seal the result in front of a near-capacity crowd at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
The Brazilians had their chances, including a goal-line clearance, the overturned penalty, and several promising openings in the second half that ultimately came to nothing.
The win sees the Blues advance to the final on Saturday (U.S. time), where they’ll meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid who clash in tomorrow’s second semi-final.
As for Fluminense who had gone unbeaten until today, bow out with pride after an impressive tournament run, earning plenty of respect and support along the way.
The 23-year-old, who completed his move to Stamford Bridge from Brighton six days ago, made his first start for Enzo Maresca’s team in the absence of suspended striker Liam Delap, netting two stunning goals to help his new club book a place in Sunday’s final against either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain. With Chelsea banking £25 million in prize money by winning the game and sealing a place in the final, João Pedro’s transfer fee now looks relatively low.
Fluminense’s defeat ends South American interest in the Club World Cup, but the Rio de Janeiro-based club ended the tournament as Brazil’s most successful side.
