Chelsea beat Palmeiras 2-1, advance to FIFA Club World Cup Semifinal

Chelsea FC secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brazil's Palmeiras in a thrilling encounter at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The victory propels the Blues into the semifinals of the FIFA Club World Cup.

The game kicked off with both teams displaying their attacking intent, and it was Chelsea who struck first.

Cole Palmer put Chelsea in front in the 16th minute with a clinical finish, a goal they took into the halftime break.

Palmeiras, however, responded in the second half, equalizing through a surprising twist in the 53rd minute.

Chelsea player Estevao, still representing Palmeiras scored for the Brazilians.

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Enzo Maresca made a pivotal substitution, introducing debutant João Pedro, the £30 million signing from Brighton, in the 60th minute.

The decisive moment came late in the game when Chelsea found the winner in the 83rd minute.

A deflected ball by Marlon Gusto took an unfortunate turn, diverted by Palmeiras' Agustin Giay into his own goal, securing the victory for the Blues.

The result means Chelsea will face Fluminense in the semifinal, setting the stage for another high-stakes encounter.