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Signed from Brighton last week, Joao Pedro came off the bench to help Chelsea to a 2-1 win over Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.

Up against his former club, the Brazilian stole the show on his full Blues debut.

Having curled in a sensational 18th-minute opener, Joao Pedro put Chelsea two to the good shortly before the hour at MetLife Stadium, hammering in off the crossbar at the end of a fine run.

Chelsea had Marc Cucurella to thank when he made a goal-line clearance not long after Joao Pedro's opener, denying Hercules.

The Blues also survived a penalty shout when, having initially giving a spot-kick for a handball by Trevoh Chalobah, referee Francois Letexier changed his mind after a VAR review.

Malo Gusto went close to putting the result beyond all doubt, while Nicolas Jackson squandered a great opportunity when he hit the near post rather than find the unmarked Cole Palmer, but Chelsea saw out the victory with relative ease to tee up a showpiece clash with either Real Madrid or European champion Paris Saint-Germain.

Enzo Maresca, though, may have some concern over an ankle injury sustained by Moises Caicedo late on.

Joao Pedro vowed not to celebrate should he find the net against his boyhood club, and he kept his promise. He is the first Brazilian to score for Chelsea in an official match since Thiago Silva did so against Sheffield United in the 2023-2024 season.

Silva captained Fluminense, and matters could have been different for the Rio gint had Hercules managed to beat Cucurella on the line.