Brazilian club Fluminense continued with their stellar performance at the Club World Cup by booking their spot in the semi-final
In another quarter-final tie played in the early hours of Saturday morning, Chelsea recorded a 2-1 win over Palmeiras at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia

Brazilian club Fluminense continued with their stellar performance at the Club World Cup by booking their spot in the semi-final. Flu secured a crucial 2-1 win over Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal on Friday evening at Camping World Stadium in Orlando and will face Chelsea on Tuesday in New Jersey.

Matheus Martinelli put the Brazilian giants in front in the 40th minute with a well taken strike from 16 yards. Al Hilal thought they had the opportunity to level the scores from the penalty spot afterwards but had their penalty overturned by the video assistant referee.

Nevertheless, they found their way back into the match in the 51st minute through Marcos Leonardo who netted from close range after Kalidou Koulibaly’s header fell on his path.

Fluminense midfielder Hercules celebrates after scoring the goal that sent his team to the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup on Friday night. The Brazilian side beat Al Hilal 2-1 in a thrilling match played at Camping World Stadium and attended by more than 43,000 fans. Photo/ FOX Sports.

Flu regained their lead with 20 minutes left to play through Hercules and managed to contain Al Hilal’s pressure until the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match.

Leonardo, 22, is the joint top scorer at the Club World Cup along with Angel Di Maria with four goals. However, both of them are out of the tournament now.

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Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, who have three goals each, have a higher chance of winning the Golden Boot considering their teams are still participating in the tournament. Whereas Chelsea booked a spot in the semis earlier today by beating Palmeiras 2-1, Bayern Munich will take on Borussia Dortmund today for a last four spot.

Chelsea Edge Palmeiras To Reach Club World Cup Semis

In another quarter-final tie played in the early hours of Saturday morning, Chelsea recorded a 2-1 win over Palmeiras at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Chelsea’s new number 10 Cole Palmer opened the scoring in the 16th minute to end an eight-game goal drought. There was little action for the remainder of the first half as both sides struggled to control the match.

Palmeiras found their way back into the clash in the 53rd minute though Estavao Willian who scored a wonderful goal from a tight angle. The game eventually went Chelsea’s way in the last minutes as Giay Agustin deflected Malo Gusto’s cross into his goal.

Chelsea vs Fluminense — Malo Gusto (R) celebrates with teammate Cole Palmer after his cross was deflected by Palmeiras defender Giay Agustin to give Chelsea the lead in the 83rd minute. Palmer had earlier scored the opening goal for the Blues in the first half before Estavao equalized for Palmeiras. Photo/ Ghetto Radio.

Palmer and Pedro Neto were exciting throughout the match but it was Estavao who stole the headlines considering how he announced himself to his new employer and teammates. The 18-year-old Brazilian forward is expected to complete a move to Chelsea in the coming days for a fee that could reach 52 million euros.

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Joao Pedro was handed his Chelsea debut in the clash but despite looking dangerous in front of goal, he was unlucky not to score. On the other hand, Liam Delap was far from his best before being substituted off. Nicolas Jackson returned from his two match ban but also couldn’t find the back of the net.

Whereas Chelsea will be preparing to face Fluminense in the semi-final of the Club World Cup, Palmeiras will be returning to Brazil to prepare for their domestic league.