FIFA Club World Cup: Chelsea Beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 To Kickstart Their Campaign

Published

10 months ago

June 17, 2025

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FIFA Club World Cup: Chelsea Beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 To Kickstart Their Campaign—-Portuguese international Pedro Neto scored in the first half and 2nd half substitute Enzo Fernández 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 in the match. Neto scored 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 Sánchez came up with a 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.

Coming in off the bench, Fernández made no mistake finishing Liam Delap’s cross, adding an insurance goal for The Blues.

Key moment

Chelsea’s day was made even more positive by the debut of Delap, a promising 22-year-old English striker signed from Ipswich Town.

Takeaways

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.

“It’s a high level against a quality team. If you give them a moment, they’ll punish you. They had two chances, and they punished us.” — Marky Delgado, LAFC midfielder.

“We know they’ve got amazing players and they’re a really good team, but we’ve got to play our football. No matter who we’re playing, we play our football really confident. … You’ve got to pick your moments, and I think we’ve done that well today.” — Levi Colwill, Chelsea defender.

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Ousmane Dembélé Hits Brace as Paris Saint-Germain Knock Out Liverpool from UCL

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1 day ago

April 14, 2026

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Ousmane Dembélé Hits Brace as Paris Saint-Germain Knock Out Liverpool from UCL—-Ousmane Dembélé starred with a brace as Paris Saint-Germain secured a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, sealing a dominant 4-0 aggregate win to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

The French forward proved decisive on the night, scoring twice to end Liverpool’s European campaign and send the defending champions into the last four for a third consecutive season.

Liverpool’s night was further marred by a serious injury to Hugo Ekitiké, who was forced off in the first half with what appeared to be a severe leg issue, raising concerns over his availability for the remainder of the season.

Manager Arne Slot made bold selection calls, leaving Mohamed Salah on the bench initially, though the forward was introduced early following Ekitiké’s injury and nearly made an instant impact.

Despite flashes of pressure from Liverpool, PSG remained composed and dangerous on the counter. Dembélé broke the deadlock in the second half with a fine curling effort before adding a second in stoppage time from a Bradley Barcola assist.

Liverpool’s hopes of a comeback were also dashed when a penalty awarded for a challenge on Alexis Mac Allister was overturned following a VAR review.

The defeat confirms a disappointing end to Liverpool’s European campaign, while PSG continue their title defence and will face either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the semi-finals.

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Ademola Lookman On Target as Atlético Madrid Edge Barcelona 3-2 on Aggregate to Reach UCL Semi-Finals

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1 day ago

April 14, 2026

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Ademola Lookman On Target as Atlético Madrid Edge Barcelona 3-2 on Aggregate to Reach UCL Semi-Finals—-Atlético Madrid booked their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after edging Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate, despite a 2-1 defeat in the second leg of their quarter-final clash.

Barcelona made a blistering start at the Metropolitano, with Lamine Yamal opening the scoring early before Ferran Torres doubled their lead inside 24 minutes to level the tie on aggregate.

However, Atlético responded through Ademola Lookman, whose crucial strike restored his side’s aggregate advantage following their 2-0 first-leg win.

Diego Simeone’s men then held firm under intense pressure, with Barcelona’s hopes taking a major hit when Eric García was sent off for bringing down Alexander Sørloth as he raced through on goal.

Despite late attacking changes from coach Hansi Flick, Barcelona were unable to find the third goal needed to force extra time, as Atlético battled through a tense finish.

The result sees Atlético Madrid reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2017, keeping alive their dream of winning the competition for the first time in their history.

They will now face either Arsenal or Sporting CP in the semi-finals.

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