New signing Joao Pedro scored twice on his first start for Chelsea as the Premier League side eased past Fluminense 2-0 on Tuesday to book a place in the FIFA Club World Cup final.
The Brazilian forward, signed from Brighton & Hove Albion last week for a reported £60 million (R1.8 billion), struck in the 18th and 56th minutes at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Chelsea will face either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final.
Joao Pedro, who made his debut off the bench in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras, was handed a starting berth in place of the suspended Liam Delap. The 23-year-old, a former Fluminense academy product, opted not to celebrate either goal against his former club.
“It is a great achievement,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told DAZN. “It has been a fantastic season – top four in the league, Conference League winners, and now in this final. We are so, so happy. Hopefully we can end the season with a trophy.”
The result ended Fluminense’s impressive run at the expanded 32-team tournament. The 2023 Copa Libertadores champions had held Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, upset Inter Milan in the last 16, and knocked out Al-Hilal in the quarters.
Their exit also closed the door on a potential South American winner, with Chelsea securing back-to-back wins over Brazilian sides to reach the final.
Chelsea were without suspended duo Levi Colwill and Delap, but Moisés Caicedo returned from a ban. The Blues, cheered on by a 70,556-strong crowd, proved far too strong for their opponents in the summer heat just outside New York City.
Joao Pedro opened the scoring with a sublime finish, collecting a loose clearance from Thiago Silva before curling the ball past veteran keeper Fabio.
Fluminense nearly levelled when Hercules, hero of their previous match, chipped Robert Sanchez – only for Marc Cucurella to clear off the line.
The Brazilians were briefly awarded a penalty in the first half when a Rene free kick struck Trevoh Chalobah’s arm, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review.
Early in the second half, Enzo Fernandez released Joao Pedro on a counter, and the Brazilian made no mistake – smashing a shot in off the bar to double Chelsea’s lead.
Despite the defeat, Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi remained proud of his team’s performance.
“This was a wonderful Club World Cup,” he said. “We wanted to reach the final for our fans, but we leave with our heads held high. We go back stronger than before.”
Portaluppi had previously referred to his side as the “ugly duckling” of the tournament due to their relatively modest budget compared to Europe’s giants.
The match also marked a return to familiar surroundings for 40-year-old Fluminense captain Thiago Silva, who spent eight years at Chelsea.
Chelsea will now aim to become Club World Cup champions for the second time, having lifted the trophy in 2021.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Heuler Andrey/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
