Delap's first Chelsea goal helps club reach last 16

Goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Liam Delap and Tyrique George saw Chelsea's second-string broadside unafraid a spot successful the circular of 16 astatine the Club World Cup with a 3-0 triumph implicit Esperance de Tunis successful their last Group D lucifer connected Tuesday.

Group winners Flamengo were held 1-1 by LAFC to decorativeness connected 7 points, 1 up of Chelsea. Esperance finished 3rd with 3 points portion LA FC were bottommost with 1 point.

Chelsea adjacent look Group C winners Benfica connected Saturday astatine the Bank of America Stadium successful Charlotte, portion Flamengo instrumentality connected Bayern Munich, Group C runners-up, successful Miami connected Sunday.

Despite the stakes, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca opted to rotate his squad erstwhile more, resting cardinal players specified arsenic Cole Palmer and goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.

He was missing striker Nicolas Jackson, who volition besides beryllium unavailable against Benfica arsenic helium serves a two-match suspension pursuing his reddish paper successful Friday's 3-1 nonaccomplishment to Flamengo.

Delap, a £30 cardinal ($40.66 million) signing from Ipswich Town, came adjacent to opening the scoring successful the 20th infinitesimal but his header was cleared disconnected the line.

Chelsea dominated possession successful a lacklustre archetypal fractional but struggled for creativity successful the last third, with Delap squandering different aureate accidental successful the 30th infinitesimal erstwhile helium missed the people from adjacent range.

The breakthrough yet came successful first-half stoppage clip erstwhile Adarabioyo roseate highest to caput the shot into the bottommost near corner.

Moments aboriginal Delap doubled Chelsea's lead, capitalising connected a escaped shot wrong the box, cutting wrong a defender and finishing neatly into the acold country for his archetypal extremity since joining the Stamford Bridge side.

The 2nd fractional saw Chelsea mostly power proceedings without pressing for a 3rd extremity and their resolute antiaircraft show ensured determination was nary mode backmost for Esperance.

The London broadside made it 3-0 erstwhile substitute George fired location from the borderline of the container heavy successful added time.