Chelsea FC became the first team to reach the final of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Fluminense 2-0, thanks to two stunning goals from new signing Joao Pedro, one in each half.
Pedro, who joined the Blues just a week ago, delivered a dazzling brace in the 18th and 56th minutes at MetLife Stadium, ending the dreams of his boyhood club and guiding Chelsea into the final.
Chelsea will now face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in an all-European final on Sunday.
Fluminense came close to scoring when Hercules beat goalkeeper Robert Sanchez with a low shot, only for Marc Cucurella to clear the ball off the line. Moments later, they were awarded a penalty after a suspected handball by Trevoh Chalobah, but a VAR review overturned the decision, ruling the defender’s arm position as natural.
Despite his heroics, Pedro kept his celebrations subdued, raising his hands in apology toward the Fluminense fans.
“I think it was a dream.... And I don’t think it could have been better. I’m happy to score my first goals for Chelsea but also I know this tournament is very important for Fluminense. I can just say sorry but I have to be professional. I play for Chelsea and they pay me to score goals,” Pedro said after the match.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca hailed the performance and praised his team’s successful season.
“It is a great achievement. It has been a fantastic season — top four in the Premier League, [winning the UEFA] Conference League and now in the final of this competition. We are so, so happy. We go game by game. Finally, we have the last game of the season and hopefully we can win the tournament,” Maresca said.
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