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Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Chelsea 4 Benfica 1 (aet): Blues eventually reach Club World Cup quarters with extra-time blitz after TWO-HOUR delay
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CHELSEA overcame the best efforts of Mother Nature and Malo Gusto to reach the last eight of the Club World Cup - in one of the most bizarre games to grace a major tournament. The Blues were four minutes away from victory when reports of lightning forced a weather delay of almost TWO HOURS. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 12 Chelsea advanced to the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup Credit: AFP 12 Reece James scored a clever free-kick to send the Blues through Credit: AFP 12 His quick thinking helped him get the better of Anatoliy Trubin and find the bottom corner 12 A storm saw Chelsea vs Benfica suspended with the players off the pitch for TWO HOURS When play resumed, hapless defender Gusto conceded a penalty which allowed Benfica to equalise with just 60 seconds left on the clock to force extra time. The Portuguese side then had a player sent off before Chelsea sub Christopher Nkunku stabbed home the scruffiest of goals to finally put his team into the last eight. But the game which kicked off at 4pm local time did not finish until 8.30pm. And Chelsea had to fly straight back to their Miami HQ immediately afterwards. READ MORE CHELSEA NEWS GITT IT DONE Jamie Gittens having Chelsea medical TONIGHT as Blues agree £55.5m deal Reece James' classy goal had Chelsea on the brink of reaching the quarter finals only for the weather to intervene and transform a tepid match into a remarkable experience. Strict safety rules mean the players must come off the pitch and fans must leave their seats if lighting occurs within a ten mile radius of the ground. That was at 5.54pm local time and the game did not resumed until 7.47pm. A hold up of one hour and 53 minutes. Chelsea even posted pictures of their players keeping their tired legs warm by riding exercise bikes and playing keepy-uppy in the dressing room while waiting for the skies to clear. Join SUN CLUB for the Chelsea Files every Tuesday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Stamford Bridge Violent storms are normal in these parts at this time of year which means the same fate awaits games at the real World Cup next summer when 48 countries will be spread across the US. It's one thing to delay Chelsea v Benfica. Quite another to call a halt to Brazil versus France. Why Chelsea could sign Garnacho | Transfers Exposed WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN But amid all the drama Maresca's men only had to hold on for a few minutes to steer themselves into the last eight and a date with Brazilians Palmeiras - the team they beat to win the 2022 Club World Cup. But the delay clearly affected the Premier League side more than the Portuguese. Chelsea were already riding their luck when Benfica mounted one last attack with just two of the six added minutes remaining. Nicolas Otamendi headed across the area and Chelsea sub Gusto jumped to clear but the ball touched the back of his arm. The ref was sent to the monitor by VAR and after a brief debate awarded a penalty. Vastly experienced Argentina winger Angel di Maria calmly slotted home from the spot, sending his shot straight down the middle while Blues' keeper Robert Sanchez dived to his left. 12 VAR gave Benfica a penalty for Malo Gusto's unlucky handball after the restart Credit: Reuters 12 Angel Di Maria made no mistake from the spot to send it the game to extra-time Credit: Getty 12 It had got so close for Chelsea too. They had controlled the first 86 minutes of the game with ease before the bizarre set of events kicked in. Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer had all gone close to scoring but they ended up paying for the missed chances by leaving Benfica in with a chance to get back in the game. James curled in a classy free kick in the 65th minute to put Chelsea one up and they looked like seeing it out. Gusto only came on in the 80th minute. The Frenchman was also guilty of a string of errors in Chelsea's Conference League Final win last month and was taken off by Maresca at half time. Benfica were reduced to ten men in extra time when sub Gianluca Prestianni was sent off for a second yellow card for a foul on Levi Colwill. 12 Players were removed from the playing surface in the 86th minute 12 Marc Cucurella protested the decision to evacuate With the opposition a man down, Chelsea slowly piled on the pressure and won it in the 108th minute when Cole Palmer broke free. He fed Moises Caicedo whose shot was only partially saved. Sub Nkunku pounced on the rebound but even that was blocked by defender Otamendi before the Frenchman got back on his feet and smashed home at the second attempt. Winger Pedro Neto made it 3-1 in the 114th minute and Kiernan-Dewsbury Hall added a fourth with four minutes left. Chelsea are edging closer to a last four all-Premier League meeting with Manchester City in the semi finals - in New York. 12 Christopher Nkunku scored Chelsea's crucial second goal in extra-time Credit: Getty 12 Pedro Neto made it safe with Chelsea's third against 10-man Benfica Credit: Getty 12 And Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall put the cherry on top with another extra-time strike Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Chelsea face nightmare Club World Cup draw following second-half collapse against Flamengo
CHELSEA face a horror Club World Cup draw after losing to Flamengo on Friday. Enzo Maresca's Blues were outclassed by the Brazilians, going down 3-1 in Philadelphia. 2 Enzo Maresca's side were beaten in Philadelphia Credit: AFP The defeat means Chelsea are unlikely to win their group, with Flamengo three points and four goals better off. Maresca's men will still scrape through should they avoid defeat against ES Tunis on Tuesday night. But even if they do manage to limp on, the West Londoners will face a tough ask in the round of 16. The runners-up in Chelsea's group will face the winners of Group C in the knockout phase. READ MORE CHELSEA NEWS OBI WHAT? DAZN forced to apologise as Chelsea legend launches X-rated Nicolas Jackson rant As it stands this would be Harry Kane's Bayern Munich, who have so far beaten Auckland City and Boca Juniors. The difficult match would take place at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium on June 28. Bayern could still fail to win their group, however, with Benfica able to pip them if they beat the Bavarians on Tuesday. Even if Chelsea do manage to advance to the quarter-finals, there's a good chance that European champions Paris Saint-Germain would await them. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 2 Harry Kane helped Bayern beat Boca Juniors Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Luis Enrique's side were stunned 1-0 by Brazilians Botafogo earlier this week. This has left PSG likely to finish second in Group B. Chelsea vs Tottenham fan battle - 'Kane's better than Drogba at EVERYTHING' | Stoppage Time WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN Should they do so, the French giants would play the winners of Group A, likely to be Palmeiras or Inter Miami, in the round of 16 - before possibly facing Chelsea. The Blues initially led against Flamengo, going one up via in-form Pedro Neto. Everything went wrong in the second half, however, with goals by Bruno Henrique and Danilo turning the match on its head, before Nicolas Jackson was sent off for a reckless challenge. Wallace Yan's calm finish made the match safe late on, leaving Chelsea with it all to do. After the match, boss Maresca said of his side's collapse: "It completely changed the game. "Unfortunately we conceded two goals in a short moment and then the red card and then I think it is complicated to get back into the game. "We tried – but congratulations to them. They deserved to win. "We tried to do something different in the game, for next season and for the future."
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Why is Kylian Mbappe not playing in Real Madrid vs Al Hilal FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match?
Kylian Mbappe has not been named in the Real Madrid squad for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group H match against Al Hilal at the Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday. FOLLOW LIVE | REAL MADRID VS AL HILAL LIVE SCORE, FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 The fixture will mark a debut for former Real Madrid player Xabi Alonso, who will begin his tenure as manager of the club after taking over from Carlo Ancelotti. Real Madrid is among the favourites to lift the trophy and qualified for the competition after securing the UEFA Champions League in both 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons, as it saw off Borussia Dortmund for their 15th continental crown. WHY IS KYLIAN MBAPPE NOT PLAYING IN REAL MADRID VS AL HILAL? Kylian Mbappe could not be in the squad due to an illness which stopped him from Real Madrid's training on Tuesday. The club said Mbappe had been suffering from a fever, and newly appointed manager Xabi Alonso, who will make his debut in the dugout in Wednesday's match, added that a decision on his participation would be made in the morning. 'Kylian was a bit better this morning, but he was not fully fit, so we thought it would be best for him to skip training. Let's see how it evolves, and we'll make a last-minute decision,' Alonso told a press conference on the eve of the clash at the Hard Rock Stadium. (With inputs from Reuters)
Scottish Sun
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘They walk into our starting XI' – £134million worth of former Man Utd stars reunite in Miami at Club World Cup
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FIVE former Manchester United stars worth a whopping £134million have reunited in Miami. The gathering of ex-Reds at the Club World Cup has sent fans into meltdown on social media. 7 Pogba was considered one of the best midfielders in the world before joining United Credit: PA 7 Cavani arrived at United as one of Europe's most potent strikers Credit: PA 7 Rojo joined United from Sporting Lisbon 7 Pogba shared this image with his old pals Credit: Instagram @paulpogba Sergio Romero, Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, and Edinson Cavani were all snapped together looking like they'd never left Old Trafford. It got even more exciting when the club's official X account posted the picture. The Red Devils alumni, who are now all playing for Boca Juniors in Argentina apart from Pogba, are in town for the newly re-designed and expanded Club World Cup. And Herrera had a tournament opener to forget after being sent off while on the bench in the 2-2 draw with Benfica. Former fan favourite Pogba, once United's record signing at £89million, stood tall alongside cult hero Cavani, who joined the club aged, 33, on a free transfer after a reported fallout with PSG following Neymar's arrival. WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN Romero, United's No2 for years, was also a free signing after leaving Sampdoria in 2015. Herrera was brought in for £29million and Rojo for £16million, both remembered for their passion and commitment on the pitch during their time in Manchester. United fans didn't hold back on social media, with one saying: "At least three of those players still walk into our current team, says a lot.' BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Then second followed: 'Pogba and Cavani – miss those vibes at Old Trafford.' Before a more emotional one read: 'We never knew how good we had it.' Lionel Messi appears to headbutt Club World Cup opponent as tempers flare in Inter Miami's opening match French midfielder Pogba is reportedly hoping to seal a move to Monaco and prove he's still got fire in his belly folloiwng his drugs ban. As for United fans still reeling from a dire season, seeing what they once had will do nothing to lift their mood. 7 Ander Herrera played 132 league games for Manchester United Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 He was sent off for Boca against Benfica Credit: Reuters
Scottish Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Bayern Munich wonderkid forced to pull out of Club World Cup squad to finish his school exams
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BAYERN MUNICH youngster Wisdom Mike has been forced to withdraw from the Club World Cup - to complete his exams. The 16-year-old was initially due to represent Bayern at the new-look tournament this month. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Wisdom Mike will miss the Club World Cup to complete school Credit: Getty But he will now have to stay behind in order to finish school. Four other academy players will travel to the United States for the tournament. Leon Klanac, Cassiano Kiala, Jonah Kusi-Asare and David Santos Daiber are among the players involved. Mike is yet to make his first team debut for Bayern Munich, having joined the club's academy three years ago. He scored 22 goals and provided eight assists in 23 appearances for Bayern's youth teams this season. Bayern kick off their Club World Cup campaign on Sunday against Auckland City. The Bundesliga giants also face Boca Juniors and Benfica in their group. Bayern Munich have signed two players ahead of the competition. WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN Jonathan Tah has joined in a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, with Tom Bischof making the switch from Hoffenheim. Max Eberl, the club's director of sport, announced this week: "We're happy we could reach agreements with Leverkusen and Hoffenheim, and that both Jonathan and Tom are now part of our squad. Dazn unveil brilliant Club World Cup promo video with legendary boxing announcer drafted in to ring bell on tournament "Both will expand our options at the Club World Cup. "We're all very excited for this new tournament in the USA, where we want to have a say in the title."
