Chelsea vs Benfica: Dramatic Win in Club World Cup Round of 16

The Blues overcame a near two-hour weather delay, scoring three times in extra time to book their spot in the quarter-finals.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea are off to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup after defeating Portuguese giants Benfica 4-1 on Saturday in the round of 16 in the competition. The Blues overcame a near two-hour extreme weather delay that halted play for one hour and 57 minutes to secure their spot in the next round, scoring three times in extra time.

A world-class free kick from captain and full-back Reece James in the second half saw them break the deadlock, putting them on track for what looked like a swift and seamless victory. However, in the 86th minute of the contest, FIFA officials halted the match due to weather, and multiple delays later, the teams resumed after spending over an entire regulation period in the locker room.

Upon return, Benfica seized their opportunity, equalising in stoppage time through an Angel Di Maria penalty kick - his fourth goal of the competition. A Malo Gusto handball offense was called with minutes to spare, and the Argentina legend stepped up to draw level, forcing extra time.

Come extra-time, it was all Chelsea, though. Just two minutes in, Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was shown a second yellow card, and the Portuguese club were reduced to 10 men. From there, Maresca deployed a high press, and it resulted in three goals to close out the match.

Christopher Nkunku scored the game-winner, making it 2-1 in the 108th minute, bagging a strike worth $13.1 million due to the enormous prize pool of the competition, earning the London team a hefty payday by advancing to the next round. Then, Pedro Neto found the back of the net, followed by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the closing stages.

The Blues overcame a lengthy delay and a shocking late equaliser to secure their advancement in the tournament, where they will now meet Palmeiras and Brazilian wonderkid Estevao in a head-to-head match before he joins them on a permanent transfer after the completion of the competition. However, they will have to do it without midfielder Moises Caicedo, who earned his second yellow card of Club World Cup, and will be suspended due to accumulation for their next match.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Bank of America Stadium.