Key occasions
81 min: Chelsea make a triple change, changing James, Fernandez and Delap with Gusto, Dewsbury-Corridor and Nkunku.
79 min: Cucurella appears to be like lengthy down the within left and releases Delap, who rounds Trubin on the surface and slots confidently from a good angle. That’s an excellent end, however it’s not going to depend as a result of he’s offside.
78 min: Aursnes knocks the ball previous Cucurella down the proper and romps into acres of house. He cuts again for Prestianni, getting into the field down the channel. He’s set to work Sanchez on the very least, however slices a weak shot extensive left. Because the ball bobbles previous the put up, Prestianni places his head in his palms, as properly he would possibly. An enormous probability for Benfica to equalise and pressure additional time.
76 min: Benfica are attempting to select up the tempo, however their strikes are repeatedly breaking down within the last third. Chelsea wanting fairly comfy. “Bojangles is the perfect,” begins Beau Dure’s quantity to the choir. “I’ve been on the board of my school newspaper for eight years, and that all the time gave me an excuse to go to Bojangles, Cook dinner Out and maybe a full-fledged BBQ place. I’ve rotated off the board, which is unhealthy for my palate however nice for my waistline.”
74 min: The sport restarts. Fernandez bursts down the center and has Delap to his left, with Benfica quick on the again. However he takes too lengthy to resolve whether or not to shoot or move, and ultimately does neither earlier than Silva takes the ball off him.
72 min: Time for a Cooling Break (© Fifa 2025). The chaps migrate to the touchline for some tasty fluid.
70 min: Badiashile has tweaked one thing in making that problem. He makes approach for Tosin, whereas Benfica make a double change: Florentino and Pavlidis are changed by Belotti and Prestianni.
68 min: Pavlidis prices down the inside-right channel and appears to have gotten in forward of Badiashile. He’d be one on one with Sanchez, if that’s the case. However he can’t get a shot away, as a result of Badiashile sticks to his shoulder, gently leans into him, and turns away with the ball because the striker sprawls on the bottom. Benfica declare a penalty, however they’re not getting one. Very effective defending certainly.
66 min: That was sheer brilliance from James, who moments earlier could possibly be discovered clanking the only of passes into contact. You might query Trubin’s beginning place, however James despatched that flying into the bottom-left nook with forensic accuracy. It isn’t precisely a carbon copy, however there are shades of Gary McAllister’s last-minute winner for Liverpool towards Everton in 2001. Lengthy-distance opportunism, completely executed.
GOAL! Benfica 0-1 Chelsea (James 64)
From the ridiculous to the chic by Reece James within the house of simply over a minute! He takes the free kick out on the flank. He spots Trubin standing in the course of his aim, so with only a two-man wall forward of him, he surprisingly goes direct, whipping into the underside left! Tucked proper within the nook! The keeper overwhelmed all finally ends up!
63 min: That is getting super-scrappy. Now it’s Florentino who goes into the e book, for a cynical clip on Palmer, who was within the strategy of spinning away from him down the left. A free kick in a harmful place.
62 min: James miscues a easy move down the proper straight out of play for a aim kick. On the touchline, Enzo Maresca fumes quietly.
61 min: Caicedo mistimes a sort out and goes into the e book. He’ll miss the following match if Chelsea progress.
60 min: Right here’s some stat courtesy of DAZN. Benfica haven’t had a scoreless draw for 38 video games. And that’s the one one they’ve had of their final 77. Don’t blame me for tempting destiny, the cat’s already out of the bag.
59 min: Sanchez sends Delap away down the opposite finish, and the striker wins a nook. From the set piece, Neto flashes a nothing ball by the field from the left.
57 min: … so having mentioned that, Aursnes advances down the proper. Sanchez expects a cross and comes off his line, so Aursnes goes for aim as an alternative. Sanchez will get again to grab the ball away from the bottom-right nook, and practically carries it over the road, however swivels simply in time. Practically a gap aim out of nothing!
56 min: Di Maria tries to advance Benfica up the pitch however he’s eased off the ball. Nothing occurring for the Portuguese facet. Nothing a lot occurring for Chelsea both, to be truthful, however the males in pink are completely blunt.
54 min: … Badiashile heads harmlessly over the bar.
53 min: Chelsea are pinning Benfica again. They’ve picked up the tempo, like Cucurella mentioned they might. Caicedo practically releases Delap with a slide-rule move down the left, however it’s deflected out for a nook. From which …
52 min: There are fairly a couple of empty seats on the Financial institution of America Stadium. It’s not fairly at Panthers-Falcons 2023 levels, however it ain’t full, that’s for certain. Nonetheless, the people who find themselves there are glad. A shot of a chap in a Manchester United shirt tucking right into a Bojangles field. Gotta love Bojangles, that’s some tasty snack. If you happen to’re going, mine’s a Cajun Rooster Filet Biscuit Combo, please, with Legendary Ice Tea, unsweetened.
50 min: Pavlidis lunges right into a 50-50 in the course of the park. A foul. He complains about its award, and talks himself out of the quarter-final if Benfica make it. He’s booked.
48 min: Caicedo appears to be like to string a shot into the underside left from distance. Inches extensive. Trubin in all probability had it lined, to be truthful.
47 min: Chelsea are on the entrance foot instantly. Once more. Palmer flashes a low cross into the center from the left. Delap prepares to slam residence, however Otamendi extends a leg and diverts the ball over for a nook. Nothing comes of the set piece.
Chelsea get the second half underway. Benfica have made one change, changing Schjelderup with Akturkoglu.
Marc Cucurella talks to DAZN in the course of the break (!) and says: “We had probabilities … we tried to win the ball again quick … play with ardour … perhaps if I rating certainly one of my probabilities the sport modifications … the keeper made good saves … if we’ve got ardour and transfer the ball quick, we may have probabilities to attain.”
Half-time leisure. Delivered to you by Carolina Panthers legend Sir Purr.
HALF TIME: Benfica 0-0 Chelsea
Trubin has made a few effective saves, and Silva has cleared one off the road. Chelsea have been the higher facet, however right here we’re. A reminder that this may go to additional time and penalties if crucial.
45 min +4: Palmer dribbles into the Benfica field down the left and shoots. Silva deflects out for a nook. However nothing comes of that.
45 min +2: Fortunately the sting has subsided shortly, and Caicedo is ready to flex his knee. The physio appears pleased with him, and the participant is ok to proceed. Phew.
45 min +1: Caicedo and Barreiro clatter into one another at excessive pace, each males leaning in for a unfastened ball. It’s an harmless collision, however Caicedo had one foot planted and instantly holds his knee. That damage.
45 min: Schjelderup confuses James by dribbling quick down the left. He reaches the sting of the field and shapes to shoot, however James will get again into place and blocks. There can be three further first-half minutes.
44 min: Chelsea move and probe. Slowly. Benfica sit again. Each groups ready to listen to the half-time whistle and luxuriate in a chilly bathe.
42 min: Pavlidis makes good down the left and crosses within the hope of discovering Di Maria within the center. Badiashile will get within the highway. A uncommon Benfica sortie into Chelsea territory.
41 min: Palmer performs a cute wedged move down the left to launch Cucurella, however the flying defender suffers a rush of blood and blooters his cross wildly over everybody within the centre.
39 min: Cucurella is present in house down the inside-left channel. He enters the field and shoots. Trubin sticks up a robust arm to disclaim him. That’s one other effective save by Trubin, who was quite the star against Bayern.
37 min: A ball swung in from the Chelsea proper. It drops to Delap on the sting of the D, however the striker loses his bearings, spinning round looking for the ball. The search is futile. Silva swans off with it. That will have been an enormous probability had Delap sorted himself out.
