In a nail-biting quarter-final clash at the Club World Cup on Friday, Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a resilient Palmeiras side. The winning goal came late in the 83rd minute when Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton inadvertently put the ball into his own net following a deflected cross from Chelsea’s Malo Gusto. Despite Palmeiras’ spirited performance, Chelsea held on to book their place in the semi-finals.

Chelsea Dominate Early But Lead Palmeiras by Just One Goal at Half-Time

Chelsea controlled the early stages of the match, dominating possession and creating numerous chances. However, their finishing was wasteful, and they went into halftime with just a slender 1-0 lead courtesy of Cole Palmer’s 16th-minute goal.

Palmeiras Fight Back as Estevão Levels for the Brazilians

Palmeiras came out strong after the break, with teenage winger Estevão — soon to be a Chelsea player — scoring a spectacular goal from a tight angle in the 53rd minute to bring the game level.

Late Deflection Secures Chelsea’s Victory Over Palmeiras

In the final moments of the match, a cross from Malo Gusto was inadvertently redirected by Palmeiras defender Bruno Fuchs, causing the ball to slip past goalkeeper Weverton and into the goal, sealing Chelsea’s 2-1 victory.

Chelsea will take on another Brazilian team, Fluminense, in the semi-finals scheduled for Tuesday in New York.