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Chelsea vs LAFC live: Result and reaction as Neto stars in Club World Cup win
Chelsea 2-0 LAFC: Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez secured victory in Atlanta
Chelsea opened their Club World Cup campaign with a relatively comfortable 2-0 win against LAFC in Atlanta.
With a trophy in tow after Conference League success capped a solid first season under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea will now hope to build and mount a more realistic title challenge in the Premier League next season. First, though, they will look to negotiate this competition, and began strongly enough with a goal in either half enough to meet their opponents from MLS. The bright Pedro Neto opened the scoring on the half-hour mark before Liam Delap made an impact on debut off the bench, creating a chance that Enzo Fernandez finished neatly.
Flamengo and Esperance de Tunis are the other pair of teams in Group D, with the top two advancing to the knockout rounds. The expanded competition is being held at 12 venues across the United States, with 32 entrants ranging from some of Europe’s biggest clubs to semi-professional Auckland City.
Follow all of the latest from Mercedes-Benz Stadium with our live blog below. Watch every Fifa Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up here now.
Chelsea vs LAFC
It’s fair to say Mercedes-Benz Stadium isn’t full to the rafters on this humid Monday afternoon. Sparse gatherings of the spectators in the seats are ready to welcome the two sides.
Chelsea vs LAFC
Flamengo and ES Tunis meet later in Philadelphia in today’s other game in this group - who will set the early pace? LAFC have been in reasonable recent form, beating Sporting KC in their last MLS outing before the season paused.
Gianni Infantino arrives at his moment but football’s response is coming
This expanded Club World Cup is - perhaps worryingly - the baby of Gianni Infantino, Fifa’s biggest cheese ready to enjoy his moment - though a backlash may be coming, as Miguel Delaney explains:
Gianni Infantino arrives at his moment but football’s response is coming
Chelsea vs LAFC
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium looks a lovely place, the home of the Atlanta Falcons only eight years old and of outstanding design. Crucially, it also has an advanced air conditioning system - which I’m sure both teams will be grateful for to avoid the heat of the afternoon Georgia sun.
Chelsea vs LAFC
LAFC boast the first and third most-capped male French footballers in their squad, with Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud lending all sort of experience to Steve Cherundolo’s side. They earned their spot at this tournament thanks to a play-off win in extra time against Club America after Club Leon’s removal from the event.
LAFC team news
Hugo Lloris starts in goal for LAFC, with Olivier Giroud primed to make an impact off the bench against his former club.
LAFC XI: Lloris; Palencia, Long, Segura, Hollingshead; Tillman, Jesus, Delgado; Ordaz, Ebobisse, Bouanga.
Chelsea team news
Enzo Maresca resists the urge to start Liam Delap immediately as Nicolas Jackson returns from suspension up front.
Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson.
Enzo Maresca predicts big impact from new Chelsea No 9 Liam Delap
Having won the race to sign Liam Delap earlier in the summer, Enzo Maresca has predicted big things from Chelsea’s new No 9 - though has refused to confirm his place in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
“I never say to a player they will be first choice,” Maresca explained. 'The message is the same: you arrive, you work hard, you work more than, in this case, the other No.9s, and you can be the first choice. The conversation with Liam was quite clear; he was keen to join us because he knows how we play.
“Liam knows quite well how important the No.9 is. Personally, I don’t see any problem about that; Liam is quite relaxed and easy. He has done well since he arrived and is working well. We know each other from years ago, so I know what he can give us, and he knows what we can give to him to help him improve to become a better player.
“Hopefully, in terms of the No.9, he can score goals for us.”
Club World Cup 2025: Fixtures and schedule
The Club World Cup is underway. Here’s every fixture and the full schedule:
Club World Cup 2025: How to watch every match on TV and online
Why Club World Cup could be transformative for a new Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel was musing about the knock-on effect of the Club World Cup on next season’s title race. “I think it will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there,” he said.
What Tuchel did not mention is that Chelsea, disadvantaged as a result, qualified for the Club World Cup because of him. It feels a very different era given that Enzo Maresca is the fifth man to manage them since – Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino are the others – and that Reece James is the only player to take the field in Tuchel’s 2021 Champions League final victory who is in the squad they have taken to the United States.
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