A Thrilling Twist in the Club World Cup: Chelsea's Six-Minute Nightmare and Bayern's Next Opponent
In a turbulent six-minute stretch, Chelsea succumbs to chaos in a clash with Blitz-Red.
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In a dramatic turn of events at the Club World Cup in the USA, Chelsea FC stumbled in their second game, despite initially leading against CR Flamengo. After winning their opener against LAFC (2:0), the Conference League winners left spectators in shock following a rocky 6-minute stretch that saw them concede three goals, turning a 1:0 lead into a 1:3 defeat. With one group game remaining, Chelsea can't afford another slip-up, as their final opponent could be none other than Bayern Munich.
Chelsea's upcoming rival in the Club World Cup will be determined by the winner of Group D. Vincent Kompany's team faces Boca Juniors early Saturday (3 AM CET/DAZN). Should Bayern Munich finish second in their group, they will face the winner of Chelsea's Group D match. Flamengo, coached by former Brazilian national player Filipe Luís, already has six points and is close to qualifying as Group D leaders.
One noteworthy character in Chelsea's defeat was forward Nicolas Jackson. Jackson came in as a substitute for Liam Delap in the 64th minute but was sent off just four minutes later for a rough tackle on Ayrton (68'). The red card proved decisive in Flamengo's comeback, having already equalized through Bruno Henrique (62') and Danilo (65'), with Wallace Yan scoring the final goal in the 83rd minute.
Storm Delays Benfica's Victory
Meanwhile, Benfica Lisbon edged out Auckland City in their crucial match but had to endure a lengthy delay due to lightning and thunder. Despite dominating the semi-professional New Zealanders for most of the game, Argentine World Cup winner Ángel di María struggled to score for over 50 minutes in front of a sparse crowd in Orlando. Benfica finally clinched the win with a late penalty by di María in stoppage time (45.+8).
After facing a 0:2 deficit in their opening match against Boca Juniors, Benfica salvaged a draw with two goals. They will now face Bayern Munich in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday (9 PM EST/Sat1) in their final group game. Already-eliminated Auckland City will play their last game against Boca in Nashville, Tennessee, at the same time.
A Potential Showdown Between Europe's Giants
With Chelsea's defeat and Bayern Munich's triumph in Group C, the stage is set for a potential high-stakes encounter between these two European titans in the Club World Cup. The knockout matches' exact scheduling and pairings have yet to be revealed, but the setbacks Chelsea experienced in their match and Bayern's qualification underscore the possibility of a thrilling showdown. [Source: ntv.de, dbe/sid]
- Club World Cup 2025
- FC Chelsea
- Bayern Munich
Extra Insights:
Chelsea's group stage performance saw them boast a 2-0 win against LAFC but suffer a 3-1 loss to Flamengo. A controversial red card given to Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson in the 68th minute critical to the outcome of the match, as Chelsea struggled without their key player [1][3][4].
Despite their early loss, Bayern Munich proved their strength by securing a 2-1 victory against Boca Juniors, clinching their qualification for the knockout stages [1][2]. The possibility of a Chelsea vs Bayern Munich match-up will depend on the outcomes of the other teams in the tournament and the subsequent draw for the knockout brackets [1][2][5].
In the Group D match of the Club World Cup, Chelsea's upcoming opponent will be determined by the winner of the contest between Boca Juniors and Vincent Kompany's team. Should Bayern Munich finish second in their group, they will face the winner of the Chelsea-Boca Juniors match, setting up a potential clash between European giants in the knockout stages.
With Chelsea's defeat and Bayern Munich's triumph in the European leagues, the Club World Cup promises a thrilling potential showdown between these two football powerhouses.
