B-team enough against Tunis: Chelsea book round of 16 of the Club World Cup

Chelsea striker Liam Delap is having a good laugh as he celebrates his goal to make it 2-0 with Christopher Nkunku. Lee Smith-Reuters via Imagn Images

Tunis coach Maher Kanzari made two substitutions after the 1-0 win against Los Angeles FC , bringing on Yan Sasse and Jabri for Belaili (suspended) and Rodrigo Rodrigues (bench). Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca , however, made a complete overhaul after the 3-1 defeat to Flamengo , replacing almost his entire starting eleven. Only Gusto, Fernandez, and Delap survived the rotation.

Among others, former Leipzig player Nkunku (172 games and 70 goals for RB Leipzig) started for the first time since mid-April ( 1:2 against Legia Warsaw ) and found himself directly confronted by an opponent who defended disciplined and relied on quick transitions. Chelsea, on the other hand, were, as expected, the better team, enjoying more possession and possession, but creating little danger. Only Dewsbury-Hall came close to taking the lead in the 20th minute.

The Londoners didn't have much to offer, apart from a few half-baked shots, but that wasn't necessary, as a draw was enough to advance. That the score didn't go into the break goalless was largely thanks to Fernandez. The Argentinian first shot narrowly wide (45'+1), but then he set up both Adarabioyo's 1-0 goal (45'+3) and Delap's 2-0 goal (45'+5), laying the foundation for Chelsea's passage to the round of 16.

With Derbali replacing Mokwana, the Tunisians began the second half, which dragged on uneventfully for a long time. This may have been partly due to the fact that, despite the late hour, it was still 32 degrees Celsius in Philadelphia, and the players on the field had to endure it with their strength.

The Tunisians didn't give the impression that they were determined to turn the tide at all costs; rather, they remained well-organized and were more likely to be doing damage control. Chelsea, where 21-year-old Andrey Santos was just making his debut, embraced this, circulating the ball repeatedly, and comfortably clinched the win. The victory was even more impressive, as substitute George scored in stoppage time to make it 3-0 (90'+7').

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