Chelsea cruised past Esperance to book their ticket into the knockout stage
Chelsea’s second-string side delivered a professional and composed performance to secure a 3-0 victory over Tunisia’s Esperance de Tunis in their final Group D clash at the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday, booking their place in the round of 16.
With key names like Cole Palmer and Robert Sánchez rested, and Nicolas Jackson suspended, manager Enzo Maresca placed his trust in a rotated squad, and they delivered in style.
Tosin Adarabioyo opened the scoring just before the break, rising highest in the box to guide a pinpoint header into the bottom left corner after a cagey first half where Chelsea enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but lacked penetration.
That deadlock-breaker unlocked Chelsea’s confidence, and just moments later, Liam Delap, who had earlier missed two chances, made no mistake this time. Pouncing on a loose ball, he cut inside a defender and buried a low shot into the far corner to make it 2-0 heading into halftime.
Esperance, who had picked up a win earlier in the group stage, found no way past Chelsea’s organised backline in the second half.
The Premier League side remained disciplined, controlling the tempo while conserving energy ahead of Saturday’s round-of-16 showdown.
Substitute Tyrique George added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, rifling home from the edge of the area to cap off a confident team display.
With the win, Chelsea finishes Group D with six points, just one behind group winners Flamengo, who were held 1-1 by LAFC. Esperance ends third with three points, while the MLS champions finished bottom with just one.
Next up, Chelsea face Group C winners Benfica at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Watch highlights of the full match below:
In case you missed the match…⁰Here are the Chelsea highlights:⁰⚽ All goals included⁰🎯 Enzo with 2 assists⁰🔥 Liam Delap on the scoresheet⁰🅰️ Andrey Santos assisted Tyrique Georgepic.twitter.com/MjcP7FR4qL
— SHAYEE 𒀭 (@tier_first) June 25, 2025
FKA/EB
Meanwhile, watch as historian Annam details how Swedru All Blacks started as a military club
