Chelsea start their Club World Cup Campaign with a 2-0 victory
Chelsea made a perfect start to their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Facing a well-organized Californian side, the Blues had to be patient before breaking the deadlock.
The first half was dominated by the Londoners, though clear chances were rare. It wasn’t until the 34th minute that Neto opened the scoring with a brilliant individual effort. After dribbling past Hollingshead in the box, the English winger slotted the ball past Hugo Lloris with precision at the near post.
Chelsea maintained their attacking intent after the break but struggled to kill the game off. Los Angeles, boosted by the introduction of Olivier Giroud, tried to respond, but neither Bouanga nor his teammates could beat the Chelsea defense. The breakthrough finally came in the 80th minute: after a fine move involving Palmer and new signing Delap, Enzo Fernández fired home to seal the victory.
The final minutes were more comfortable for Chelsea, despite a last effort from Neto that rattled the crossbar. With this convincing win, the Blues take control of Group D ahead of their second match against Flamengo. Meanwhile, LAFC will need a better performance against Espérance de Tunis to stay alive in the competition. A successful start for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
