New signing Joao Pedro scored twice on his first start when Chelsea left a 2-0 win over Fluminense on Tuesday to seal a place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final.
The Brazilian striker opened the score in a deadly way in the 18th minute of the last four collision in the Metlife Stadium and struck again shortly before the hour when Chelsea set up a confrontation with Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the final on Sunday.
Signed by Brighton and Hove Albion Just last week for a reported £ 60 million ($ 79 million), the 23-year-old demolished a holiday outside the season and made his debut of the bank in the quarterfinals victory over Palmeiras.
He then received his first Chelsea start here instead of the suspended Liam Delap.
Joao Pedro refused to celebrate after one of the two goals against the club with whom he started his career and made 36 TOP team performances before moving to England with Watford in 2020.
The result ends the impressive Run van Fluminense at the tournament after the winner of Copa Libertadores from 2023 had held Borussia Dortmund in the group phase, inter Milan beaten in the last 16 and the Publicer of Manchester City al-Hilal hit in the quarterfinales.
With his exit, the prospect of a South American winner of the first 32-team edition of the Club World Cup, where Chelsea claims back-to-back victories against Brazilian opposition to reach the final.
Namely it happened | Fluminen US Chelsea Highlights
As always the most likely seemed, the trophy will be claimed by one of Europe’s super powers, with the final now guaranteed between two of the last five winners of the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca was without the suspended Levi Colwill and Delap, but the midfield Lynchpin Moises Caicedo returned after he had won Palmeiras in Philadelphia because of a ban.
The Premier League side was simply too strong for his opponent in a match viewed by 70,556 fans on a hot afternoon just outside New York City.
Chelsea took place thanks to a beautiful strike by his new attacker, who checked the ball on the edge of the box after Thiago Silva had cleared a Pedro Neto Cross.
Joao Pedro took a touch and curled a shot past the experienced goalkeeper Fabio in the far corner, before he apologetically held up his hands in the direction of the Fluminense fans who massaged behind the goal.
The team from Rio de Janeiro was an intermittent threat and Hercules – Match -winner against Al -Hilal in the last eight – almost right in the 25th minute.
He played a two with German Cano and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but Marc Cucurella came back to remove the line.
Fluminense then received a penalty 10 minutes before the interval when a set of delivery by Rene de Arm of Trevoh Chalobah hit the box.
The French referee Francois Letexier, however, has destroyed the decision after a VAR check.
Chelsea received his second at 56 minutes, just after Fluminense sacrificed one of the three center backs to send an extra attacker.
Enzo Fernandez released Joao Pedro during the break, and the attacker who scored 10 goals last season in the Premier League for Brighton produced another clinical finish in Off The Bar.
There were opportunities for Chelsea to score further goals afterwards, but the double strike of the new boy was sufficient.