Pedro Neto scored in the first half and Enzo Fernandez in the 79th minute to give Chelsea a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in Group D’s Club World Cup opener on Monday.
Chelsea put pressure on LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris early into the match. Neto found the breakthrough in the 34th minute, picking up a pass from Nicolas Jackson and cutting onto his left foot for a near-post finish.
There were 22,137 fans in attendance at the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium, many of them backing LAFC. The Black and Gold had positive sparks of energy and possession throughout the first half, but struggled to find any real opportunities in front of goal.
LAFC almost got one back just before the 60-minute mark, but Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez came up with an important save to keep Denis Bouanga off the scoresheet. The Black and Gold aimed to get some more experience onto the pitch at the half, bringing on former Chelsea man Olivier Giroud, to no avail.
Coming in off the bench, Fernández made no mistake finishing Liam Delap’s cross, adding another tally to the scoresheet for The Blues.
Chelsea’s day was made even more positive by the debut of Delap, a promising 22-year-old English striker signed from Ipswich Town.
While Chelsea is the favorite to top Group D, LAFC’s next two matches become essential to moving on to the knock-out rounds. LAFC vs. Flamengo will prove to be an entertaining game, with the two sides most likely battling it out for the group’s second spot.
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