Chelsea edge Palmeiras thanks to late own goal to reach Club World Cup semi-finals

A late own goal from goalkeeper Weverton sent Chelsea into the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Friday, as the Premier League side secured a 2-1 win over Brazilian outfit Palmeiras in a closely contested quarter-final.

The match was illuminated by a moment of brilliance from rising star Estevão Willian, the teenage Brazilian forward who is set to join Chelsea after the tournament. Eager to impress his future club, Estevão netted a superb equaliser in the 53rd minute, cancelling out Cole Palmer's first-half opener in Philadelphia.

However, with seven minutes of normal time remaining, a deflected cross from Malo Gusto ricocheted off Palmeiras keeper Weverton and into the net, handing Chelsea the win and setting up a semi-final clash with fellow Brazilian side Fluminense.

The scoreline mirrored Chelsea's victory over Palmeiras in the 2022 final of the tournament, back when it was held in its previous format.

Enzo Maresca's side are now tipped to reach the final of FIFA's newly expanded edition of the competition, with Fluminense standing in their way in Tuesday's semi-final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Despite mixed opinions surrounding the tournament's relevance, intensity on the pitch has increased significantly, and the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field reflected that. A near-capacity crowd of 65,782 turned up, even as much of Philadelphia emptied out for the 4th of July weekend.

Fireworks from nearby Independence Day celebrations lit up the skies above the Delaware River – mirrored by sparks on the pitch.

Chelsea struck first in the 16th minute, courtesy of a moment of real quality from England international Cole Palmer. Picking up a pass from Trevoh Chalobah just outside the box, Palmer turned smartly, drove forward, and slotted a low finish past Weverton.

It was an ideal start for the Blues, who had previously lost to Flamengo in the same stadium during the group stage.

Manager Maresca added a further Brazilian touch by handing a first start to highly rated midfielder Andrey Santos, recently back from a loan spell at Strasbourg. With Moisés Caicedo suspended, Santos slotted into a holding role, while Pedro Neto – still reeling from the tragic death of his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota on Thursday – featured on the right wing.

On the opposite flank for Palmeiras was 18-year-old Estevão, widely regarded as one of Brazil's brightest talents. This may well have been his final match for São Paulo, and he made his mark in style.

Chelsea missed a chance to double their lead before half-time, as Christopher Nkunku fired over after being set up by Palmer. That miss proved costly when, just eight minutes into the second half, Estevão produced a moment of magic.

Receiving a pass from Richard Rios inside the box, the teenager took two quick touches – one to nip ahead of Levi Colwill, another to compose himself – before firing a shot past Robert Sánchez that went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Chelsea reacted by introducing new signing João Pedro for his debut, making him the 27th player used by Maresca in the tournament.

With the match heading towards extra time, the Blues found a scrappy but decisive winner. A short corner routine saw Enzo Fernández find Malo Gusto, whose low cross from the left took a deflection off Agustín Giay's toe and struck Weverton before nestling in the back of the net.