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Liam Delap netted his first goal for Chelsea during a 3-0 victory over Tunisian champions Esperance on Tuesday, propelling the Blues into the last 16 of the Club World Cup.
The match, held in sweltering conditions at the end of a scorching day in Philadelphia, was decided by two goals in first-half stoppage time from Tosin Adarabioyo and Delap.
Tyrique George scored the third in injury time, in front of 32,937 spectators at Lincoln Financial Field, as Enzo Maresca’s team rebounded from a 3-1 defeat to Flamengo.
Chelsea secured second place in Group D, finishing behind the Brazilian side, while Esperance was eliminated. Regarding Delap’s maiden goal on his third appearance, Maresca stated, “Against Flamengo, he had three clear chances to score, meaning he is in the right position and performing well. We are confident Liam will score goals for us, without any doubts.”
The Premier League team is set to travel to Charlotte to face Benfica on Saturday, with the Portuguese side having already defeated Bayern Munich to top Group C.
This will be the first encounter between the clubs since Chelsea triumphed over Benfica in the 2013 Europa League final, and the winner will enter the quarter-finals against either Palmeiras or Botafogo of Brazil.
“Benfica is a strong club with an excellent manager and top players, and it will be challenging, but we’ve advanced from 32 to 16, and our next aim is to reach the last eight,” remarked Maresca.
Chelsea only needed a draw to progress, as Maresca implemented eight changes to his starting lineup after the Flamengo loss. Delap, Enzo Fernandez, and Malo Gusto retained their positions, while Josh Acheampong got an opportunity alongside lesser-seen players.
Maresca noted that the heatwave in Philadelphia, where Chelsea has been training, made player rotation essential.
“I mentioned yesterday that rotating players was unavoidable because playing every three days in these conditions isn't feasible.
The players who participated performed well… it’s crucial now to regain energy and aim for victory in the next match.”
