A late Weverton own-goal saw Chelsea eke out victory over Palmeiras in their FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Enzo Maresca’s side will now take on Fluminense FC at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on Tuesday. Chelsea took a lead in at half-time thanks to Cole Palmer, who conned his way inside two opponents and stroked the ball into the bottom corner. Palmeiras responded in second-half infancy, Estevao thumping the ball in off the crossbar from the tightest of angles. The Blues found a fortuitous winner when Malo Gusto’s cross-shot was deflected by Agustin and went in off Weverton’s arm.

Earlier in the day, Fluminense edged an end-to-end encounter with Al Hilal to reach the FIFA Club World Cup™ semi-finals. Renato Gaucho’s team will now take on the Palmeiras-Chelsea FC winners at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on Tuesday.

The game exploded into life at the end of the first period. Martinelli cleverly touched a Gabriel Fuentes cut-back into his path, and arrowed an unstoppable drive into the top corner. Fabio then produced a superb save to deny a Kalidou Koulibaly, before the referee pointed to the spot after Marcos Leonardo went down. After a VAR review, however, Danny Makkelie decided that Samuel Xavier hadn’t committed a foul. Marcos Leonardo was celebrating shortly after the restart. Koulibaly’s header from a corner hit him, and with Fabio having already dived in the other direction, the Brazilian seized his chance and hooked it home. Flu should have been back ahead moments later. German Cano latched on to an underhit Renan Lodi back-pass and went clean through. He attempted to round Yassine Bounou, but the Al Hilal goalkeeper did wonderfully to slap the ball away with his outstretched arm. There was nothing Bounou could do to prevent the winner, though. Hercules controlled the ball impeccably and struck home one of the most important goals in Fluminense’s 123-year history. (Pieced together from reports by FIFACOM)