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By LUKE POWER and KIERAN GILL and ROBERT SUMMERSCALES Updated: 12: 00 AEST, 5 July 2025 15 View comments Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Chelsea take on Palmeiras in the Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. By Luke Power Well, well. We couldn't have a quiet end to the half, could we? Liam Delap has just got himself a booking and a suspension for the semi-finals after a heated confrotation with the referee. Not entirely sure what led to that, but he was aggrieved at some of Palmeiras' roughness earlier in the half. Half-time and Maresca will be fairly happy with the score at 1-0, but it's not comfortable yet. By Luke Power Gusto has just been sent to the shops by Palmeiras centre-back Micael - and then chopped him with a stray leg. He's in the book. Palmeiras are growing into the game a bit. Vanderlan just charged into the area and cracked a header at goal with force, but Sanchez was equal to it. I mean, it did help that it bounced and lost some of its oomph. I've never been the biggest Christopher Nkunku fan, in truth, and that was a big chance there. He should have tested Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton at the very least after being set up by Cole Palmer. My hunch is that Chelsea sell Nkunku this summer. By Luke Power Fernandez has just left a crunching challenge on Estevao Willian there and sent him tumbling. Perhaps lucky to escape without a yellow. Welcome to Chelsea, lad! Probably payback for the wonderkid's late challenge on Levi Colwill earlier. By Luke Power Oh, Nkunku! We're not playing rugby, pal. He had the freedom of Philadelphia as Palmer teed him up in the area, but he got way too much under it and sent it soaring over the bar from about 16 yards. No idea how he got that much height on it. By Luke Power Make no mistakes - this is a scrappy affair. Plenty of fouls. Fernendez has just been hacked down in the middle of the park. It's rough and tumble, more than a glorified pre-season game. Now Palmer is the victim of a rough challenge from Martinez. Palmeiras are out to do damage. By Luke Power Palmeiras are struggling to get out of their half. Their starting position is so deep that when they do try and break, they're often isolated. In a worrying sign, their goalkeeper Weverton has also gone down and is receiving medical attention. He's got his head in his hands. Cole Palmer, stop that. Chelsea's playmaker just activated 'Cold' mode with a lovely turn, a shimmy to take him into space and away from two Palmeiras players, and a nonchalant finish we associate with him. Also, we've now got a flat ball. That will have to be replaced. .. By Luke Power Did we expect a different celebration just because of the heat? Absolutely not. Fernandez just had a stab at making it 2-0 with a strike from outside the box first-time but it was straight at Weverton. By Luke Power And we have lift-off! It's a composed finish from Cole Palmer, just placing the ball in the bottom corner to the goalkeeper's right with his left foot. His first touch took a couple of defenders out of the game, his next couple set up the shot, and his finish was delicate and poised. Lovely work. A few Palmeiras players have been trying to wind up their Chelsea counterparts. But Liam Delap isn't the type to back down from a fight, and nor is Enzo Fernandez. Meanwhile, Andrey Santos is looking lively on his first-ever competitive start for Chelsea. By Luke Power Estevao Willian is aiming to bring the chaso here, and he already ahs. He wrongfooted Cucurella with a whirl of stepovers and won a corner with his resultant shot. He may be joining Chelsea soon, but he's intent on punishing them tonight! By Luke Power Chelsea have been dominating the ball so far as expected, the an army of green shirts are tucked in their own half waiting to pounce on a loose ball. This is going to be a war of attrition, methinks. By Luke Power Almost an instant impact from Neto, who snaked his way past a couple of defenders on the right flank before running into a man too far. How resilient of him to be here and turn up with such an attitude. He didn't have to. Maresca didn't force him. But he has turned up all the same. By Luke Power And we're underway! A brief silence was held for Diogo Jota, during which Neto held up a shirt for his former Chelsea and Wolves team-mate and his brother Andre. Andrey Santos has replaced Reece James in the Chelsea XI, seemingly after an injury in the warm-up. By Luke Power The players are walking out now, and I must say, for all our gripes about the Club World Cup, they do player intros in an epic fashion. Every name boomed out on loudspeaker as they walk out of the tunnel individually. Flashing lights. Marc Cucurella has just sauntered out like prime Rocky Balbao. Can't blame him. The following Chelsea players would miss the semi-finals if booked here: Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo. The same would go for Estevao Willian for Palmeiras. Huge cheers - from both the Chelsea and Palmeiras fans - for Estevao Willian. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the flesh, given everyone in Brazil believes he is better than Neymar was at 18 years old. By Luke Power How lovely to see free agent Willian turn out in the United States to take in the action. He's still a mesmeric player on his best days. Not that we learned much from his brief punditry flash with DAZN just then. Where is the game going to be won and lost, he was asked? 'I don't know. I'm here to support the Blues. It's going to be a great game to watch. ' By Luke Power Chelsea are without Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in the midfield today, so they're left with Reece James and Enzo Fernandez as the holding two. Caicedo is suspended while Lavia is nursing a muscle injury. But hey, Cole Palmer is at number 10 - an exciting prospect for Chelsea fans to take in. By Luke Power Enzo Maresca refused to reflect on Chelsea's win against Benfica, before sending his depleted side a warning over Palmeiras' qualities. 'That match was a bit strange but it is gone, in the past, and we need to focus on a tough game tonight. 'We know how good they are defensively and they have good players - Estevao, players that can be dangerous in any moment, so we need to be ready in the way we attack and defend. 'We're going to face a very good team. ' LUKE POWER: A reminder that earlier today, Chelsea were hit with a £26. 8milion fine for breaching UEFA's financial rules. Well, they can go some way to chopping that if they reach the semi-finals. They can add an additional £5. 77m to their earnings so far by reaching the last four. One game, then, can shave off more than a fifth of the cost of their fine. Chelsea may finally have a decent attendance at the Club World Cup as I believe around 40, 000 are expected here. There are far more Palmeiras fans here and that isn't the worst, as they'll bring the passion as they have been doing throughout this tournament. By Luke Power Trevoh Chalobah has set out the blueprint for beating Palmeiras here - and the lessons they took from their 4-1 victory over Benfica. 'The way we won it, going to extra-time - that's football, you've got to go that extra time, we finished strong and we're really confident. 'Staying focused to the last minute. A handball is a place where there are two opinions but just stay concentrated. 'They're a very strong team, very physical, so we need to match them. ' By Luke Power John Obi Mikel has told Chelsea that it is critical for them to bring Cole Palmer into this game against a tight defence. 'This game is going to be tough, ' he told DAZN. 'This Palmeiras team defend tough and compact so we need to find a way to break them down. 'We need to find a way to bring Cole Palmer into the game. ' By Luke Power Thank you Captain Summerscales for starting this blog in fantastic fashion - wouldn't expect any different in your season of choice! We're just 40 minutes away from kick-off barring any more weather mishaps, but luckily it's looking like a roasting 27C in Philadelphia, so the game looks all good to go. .. not that I'd want to play in that! Tonight's game will be the second meeting between Chelsea and Palmeiras. Their first game in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2022, back when it was just a teeny weeny seven-team event. Chelsea won that one, but it was far from straightforward, with the deciding goal arriving late in extra time courtesy of a Kai Havertz penalty. The skies above Philedelphia are clear and the weather forecast says there is zero chance of rain falling during this game. That will be a relief for Chelsea, whose victory over Benfica in the last round ended four hours and 39 minutes after it began, largely because a storm hit and forced the players to take cover. Palmeiras will be without captain Gustavo Gomez after his red card against Botafogo, while Joaquin Piquerez is also suspended. It means Estevao will be even more important for the Brazilian side as they look to shock Chelsea. Pedro Neto is in the best scoring form of his Chelsea career, having netted in three consecutive appearances for the first time. Before this streak, he had scored just three times in 30 Chelsea appearances. The Portuguese winger could be key tonight. Like Kieran pointed out, it is something of a surprise that Neto starts. Enzo Maresca had said that the decision over whether he played was going to be Neto's to make following the tragic news of Diogo Jota's passing on Thursday morning. I wasn't expecting Pedro Neto to even be here after the passing of his close friend, Diogo Jota. Let alone did I think he would start. But he does. He'll man the right wing for Chelsea, presumably with Cole Palmer at No 10 and Christopher Nkunku on the left. Liam Delap starts as the striker. For Palmeiras, 18-year-old wonderkid Estevao Willian starts versus his future club. Weather wise – it's perfect conditions here for a game of football, thankfully. Little chance of another storm causing a suspension. By Robert Summerscales Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; James, Fernandez; Palmer, Nkunku, Neto; Delap Subs: Jorgensen, Penders, Slonina, Acheampong, Tosin, Sarr, Aneselmino, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Dewsbury-Hall, Madueke, George, Joao Pedro, Jackson, Guiu Palmeiras XI: Weverton, Giay, Micael, Fuchs, Vanderlan, Rios, Martinez, Estevao, Allan, Torres, Roque Subs: Lomba, Oliveira, Naves, Benedetti, Rocha, Mayke, Veiga, Moreno, Evangelista, Anderson, Mauricio, Thalys, Lopez, Luighi, Paulinho By Robert Summerscales Manchester City's shock exit to Al Hilal has left Chelsea as the Premier League’s only remaining club at the Club World Cup. Inter Milan also fell to Fluminense, opening up Chelsea’s half of the draw and, on paper, giving them a smoother path to the final. But nothing is guaranteed. Palmeiras have kept 10 clean sheets in their last 14 games, while Estevao is in excellent form. A reminder: if Chelsea beat Palmeiras, they will face Fluminense in East Rutherford on Tuesday. By Robert Summerscales Speaking of Brazilians. .. Chelsea's new £60m signing Joao Pedro is in the squad for tonight’s match and could make his debut after arriving from Brighton. 'He was on holiday, but in the last two days he worked with us, ' said boss Enzo Maresca earlier this week. 'If we have a chance to give him some minutes, we’re going to give him some minutes. ' By Robert Summerscales Estevao Willian – known as ‘Messinho’ – will join Chelsea after this tournament. But first, the 18-year-old Palmeiras winger will try to knock them out. 'He will show his commitment with us, ' said Palmeiras boss Abel Ferreira, who added it will be a chance for Chelsea’s owners 'to see all the potential and quality he has. ' Estevao has already broken Neymar's Brazilian Serie A record for goal involvements under the age of 18. By Robert Summerscales Fluminense's win over Inter Milan earlier this week was Brazil's third victory over European sides at this tournament, compared to just two defeats. Palmeiras now have the chance to enhance that record further against Chelsea, who know first-hand how tricky Brazilian opposition can be after losing 3-1 to Flamengo in the group stage. Unlike Chelsea, Palmeiras are still unbeaten at this summer's tournament. They drew with Porto and Inter Miami, either side of a win over Al Ahly, during the group phase, before seeing off Botafogo in an all-Brazilian clash in the round of 16. By Robert Summerscales If you are within close range of Lincoln Financial Field right now and fancy watching this game live. .. you could be in luck. Tickets for tonight’s quarter-final against Palmeiras in Philadelphia are on sale for just £8 ($11), with FIFA having slashed prices amid concerns over another low crowd. Earlier games at the tournament have seen tickets go for as little as £3. 60, but Real Madrid’s match tomorrow will set you back over £130 for the cheapest seat. FIFA apparently blame local July 4th events and US sporting ticket systems for the low demand. By Robert Summerscales Good evening, or perhaps it is good morning? Either way, Chelsea will be hoping that in just a few hours they will have joined Fluminense in the semi-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Fluminense booked their spot in the last four earlier on Friday night by beating Al-Hilal, conquerors of Manchester City, 2-1 in Orlando. Chelsea must now beat Palmeiras in Philadelphia to earn a shot at Fluminense in East Rutherford on Tuesday night. The same formation and team par Nkunku that lost t. ..

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