Chelsea winner of the Club World Cup! – SO FOOT

Chelsea 2-1 Palmeiras

Goals: Lukaku (54^and) and Havertz (117^andSP) for Chelsea // Veiga (64^andSP) for Palmeiras

A decisive penalty, to avoid a risky penalty session… and to offer yourself a new additional gift, in the trophy cabinet! To have the right to return home with the Club World Cup under their arms (the first in their history), Chelsea had to fight in the final and got away with it after extra time. Because even led in the second half, Palmeiras did not give up and managed to equalize to dream of crowning. Without success, the Blues who can count on their only Champions League final scorer to come full circle: Kai Havertz. Not without difficulty.

Weverton, the English don’t like

Hyper dominating in terms of ball possession (71%, in the first period) and territory, Chelsea nevertheless struggled to obtain really dangerous opportunities. On their first ten (and even on their eighteen) strikes, the Blues only fit in this way… only two! The works of Silva, whose nice shot from distance is stopped by a vigilant Weverton just before the break, and of Lukaku, who also sees the goalkeeper stop his attempt at the half-hour mark following a pass in calamitous withdrawal from Danilo. Opposite, Palmeiras does not let it go and boldly plays his luck. With, for example, a header from Rony captured by Mendy, or even an out-of-frame ball from Dudu having fun with Azpilicueta. In short, the 22 players return to the locker room with a clean score, and the favorites guided by Tuchel – who very quickly replaced Mount by Pulisic – are still far from lifting the cup.

Havertz, still there

Except that in the end, the trophy comes very close, and all of a sudden, when the inevitable Lukaku – already a scorer in the previous round – opens the scoring with a well-felt helmet shot taking advantage of a good center of ‘Hudson-Odoi combined with failing opposition marking. 1-0 at the 54^and minute, and almost 2-0 a few seconds later when Pulisic misses the break by ten centimeters. Yes, but here it is: while Chelsea thinks they have already won, Palmeiras returns to the game with a penalty from Veiga sanctioning a handball from Silva (in the duel with Gómez). 1-1, everything has to be done again for the English and the clock indicates that there are only 25 minutes left in regulation time. And as Pulisic, like his partners, still can’t find the frame… The extension is coming! In the same false rhythm, in the same slowness and in the face of the same double helplessness despite the numerous substitutions made or the quite relative mastery of the Blues. To make matters worse, fatigue also lands on the lawn. But while everyone believes the penalty shootout is mandatory, a bad part of Luan’s body (who, by the way, will be expelled on one of the following actions) comes into contact with the sphere on a recovery from Azpilicueta in the zone of truth following a corner … Second penalty, converted by Havertz. New title, for him and his friends!Chelsea (3-4-3): Mendy-Silva, Christensen (Sarr, 91^and), Rüdiger – Azpilicueta, Kanté, Kovačić (Ziyech, 91^and), Hudson-Odoi (Saul, 76^and) – Mount (Pulisic, 31^and), Lukaku (Werner, 77^and), Havertz. Coach: Tuchel.

Palmeiras (4-2-3-1): Weverton – Rocha, Luan, Gómez, Piquerez – Danilo, Zé Rafael (Jailson, 60^and) – Dudu (Navarro, 103^and), Veiga (Atuesta, 77^and), Scarpa-Rony (Ribeiro, 77^and). Coach: Ferreira.

By Florian Manceau