Chelsea kicked off their FIFA Club World Cup campaign on the right foot with a 2–0 victory over Los Angeles FC in their Group D debut. Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández secured the win for the English side at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Total Dominance from the Blues

Right from the start, the London based team dictated the tempo. With dominant possession and relentless pressure in the final third, Chelsea displayed their superiority. Steven Cherundolo, LAFC side struggled to find their footing and failed to generate meaningful attacking play throughout the match.

The first clear chance came around the 15 minute mark, when Noni Madueke created space and fired a low shot that Hugo Lloris did well to save with his foot.

Chelsea Breaks the Deadlock

By the half hour mark, the Blues were firmly in control of possession. The breakthrough came in the 34th minute when Nicolas Jackson played a perfectly timed through ball to Pedro Neto. The Portuguese forward danced past a defender inside the box and fired a composed finish at the near post to make it 1–0.

Although Chelsea maintained control, their backline showed moments of vulnerability that kept LAFC in the game. Still, the American side lacked the creativity to produce real danger in the final third.

Fernández Seals the Win

Just as LAFC began to push forward, Chelsea struck again to put the game to bed. In the 68th minute, Liam Delap making his debut in blue broke down the right flank and delivered a pinpoint cross into the box. World Cup winner Enzo Fernández calmly controlled the ball in the six-yard area and slotted it home for the 2–0.

A Commanding Debut

With the result secured, Enzo Maresca team comfortably saw out the remainder of the match, using possession to keep control and deny any hopes of a comeback from the American side.

Chelsea will look to seal qualification on Friday, June 20, when they face Flamengo of Brazil. Meanwhile, Los Angeles FC will try to bounce back against Espérance ST of Tunisia.