Chelsea FC booked their place in the last 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup with a confident 3-0 triumph over Tunisian giants Esperance on Tuesday evening. The match, held at Lincoln Financial Field in sweltering conditions, saw goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap, and Tyrique George as the London side bounced back from their recent loss to Flamengo.
Head coach Enzo Maresca’s team displayed control and composure in a match that tested players’ endurance due to extreme heat, with temperatures hovering around 30°C (86°F) even late into the night. The win confirms Chelsea’s second-place finish in Group D behind Flamengo and eliminates Esperance from the competition.
Delap Opens Chelsea Account in Style
The match marked a milestone for 21-year-old forward Liam Delap, who netted his debut goal for Chelsea in only his third appearance since joining from Ipswich Town. Delap, who previously missed clear opportunities against Flamengo, was praised by Maresca for his positioning and persistence.
“He had three great chances against Flamengo, and that tells us he’s in the right place. We know he’ll score goals — there’s no doubt,” said Maresca in his post-match comments.
Breakthrough Before the Interval
Despite Chelsea’s dominant possession in the first half, it wasn’t until injury time that the deadlock was broken. A well-placed free-kick by Enzo Fernandez found Adarabioyo, whose header nestled in the bottom corner for the opener in the 45+3rd minute.
Moments later, Fernandez turned provider again. His quick pass found Delap with his back to goal — the forward spun expertly and buried a low strike past Esperance goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said, doubling Chelsea’s advantage just before the whistle.
Late Flourish Seals Victory
With both sides making several substitutions, including Mamadou Sarr and Andrey Santos getting rare minutes for Chelsea, the Premier League club remained firmly in control. Santos nearly made an impact with a shot that was initially awarded as a penalty following a handball — only for VAR to reverse the decision.
The third and final goal arrived deep into stoppage time when Tyrique George took advantage of a goalkeeper error to cap off the night for Chelsea in front of a 32,937-strong crowd.
Rotations Amid Blistering Heat
Maresca made eight changes to the starting XI following the Flamengo loss, citing the extreme weather conditions in Philadelphia as a key reason. Only Delap, Fernandez, and Malo Gusto retained their spots as fresh legs were introduced, including young defender Josh Acheampong, who came close to scoring in the first half.
“I said it before — rotating the squad was non-negotiable under these conditions. The guys who played did well, and now it’s about recovery and focus for the next challenge,” Maresca explained.
Benfica Await in Round of 16
Chelsea now shift focus to their Round of 16 clash with Portuguese champions Benfica in Charlotte this Saturday. Benfica earlier topped Group C with a win over Bayern Munich, setting up a mouth-watering encounter between the two sides.
It will be the first meeting since Chelsea edged Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final, and Maresca knows the road ahead only gets tougher.
“Benfica are a top-tier club with quality players and an excellent manager. From 32 teams, we’re now in the last 16, and our next goal is to reach the quarterfinals,” Maresca added.
Should Chelsea progress, they’ll face either Palmeiras or Botafogo of Brazil in the quarterfinal stage.
Esperance Coach Reflects
Despite the defeat, Esperance head coach Maher Kanzari remained proud of his team’s efforts against one of Europe’s elite.
“We faced a world-class opponent and couldn’t match their level tonight. Still, we didn’t embarrass ourselves,” said Kanzari.
As Chelsea continue their journey in the Club World Cup, Maresca and his squad remain focused on building momentum and chasing global glory.
