Chelsea beats LAFC and starts the Club World Cup firmly

Chelsea began their stint in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 with a victory against Los Angeles FC. A commitment in which Enzo Maresca's team solved the process of the match with a pair of annotations, one in each half, to add the three points and become leaders of group D.

The Londoners, favorites by specific weight and history, arrived with the mission of prevailing in the match. However, they were not going to have it easy, since Steve Cherundolo's team came out determined to face them and stand up to the 'Blues', who took time to get into the match, to the point that they would barely have their first serious chance at 16', with a shot from Noni Madueke that Hugo Lloris repelled.

A declaration of intentions that minutes later would have a new impact, with Cole Palmer taking a left-footed shot with a spin at 19', but it went slightly wide. Another warning from a Chelsea that, in the middle of the first half, already looked more tuned and with a lot of offensive vocation, although still far from 100% of its best level.

Pedro Neto broke the LAFC wall

It would not be until the 30th minute that Chelsea would manage to break the zero on the scoreboard. This time, the person in charge of billing the annotation would be the Portuguese winger Pedro Neto. The play started with Nico Jackson filtering a ball from the midfield area, gaining the back of right back Ryan Hollingshead, a pass that the Portuguese would receive in the right sector. With a very good technical gesture - a dry cut - he left his marker lying down and, taking advantage of the fact that the goal was close, he took a left-footed shot to the first post to beat Hugo Lloris.

That would be 1-0, and the last emotion of a first half in which Chelsea went from less to more, while Los Angeles FC resisted with their tools... until the Jackson-Neto connection broke the Angelino wall.

LAFC wanted to rebel, but Enzo dictated sentence

Already for the second half, Los Angeles FC was going to demonstrate its full intention to tie the actions. The Venezuelan David Martínez, at 51', pulling of mischief, left Marc Cucurella behind and, when he was in a goal position, took a shot with his right foot that went wide.

That was the first serious advance of LAFC, which decided to take more risks. They would also have another chance at 56', courtesy of Denis Bouanga, who took advantage of a mistake by Chelsea to face Robert Sánchez, and he, almost in extremis, took the ball out with his leg.

Two attempts to the account of the American team, against a reactive Chelsea and that, despite having chances with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández and Liam Delap, left the feeling of being at half machine. In any carelessness, the score could be 1-1, as could have happened at 71' with a shot from Hollingshead that went just over the crossbar, or at 77', with another from Bouanga. The goal seemed close...

But football is usually unpredictable, and that's when the Londoners, pulling of hierarchy and when it seemed that it could be violated, put the 2-0 at 78', courtesy of the Argentine Enzo Fernández. The former River player, almost in a '9' position and arriving from the second line, capitalized a good cross into the area from the right sector by Liam Delap and plugged that ball at point-blank range, without Lloris being able to do much.

Solid victory... but with room for improvement

A blow for the North Americans, who with Enzo's goal suffered a key blow, which moved them away from any indication of a comeback. That would be the last goal of the commitment, although Chelsea would have one more dangerous play at 93', again through Pedro Neto, but the LAFC goalkeeper would manage to repel it. It was the last clear option of a duel settled by the 'Blues' with solvency in the result, but with the unequivocal feeling that those of Stamford Bridge were at half gas.