The highly anticipated Club World Cup last-16 match between Benfica and Chelsea is underway at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game kicked off at 4pm local time (21:00 GMT). This marks the beginning of the knockout stage of the newly revamped 32-team tournament, taking place across the United States.
Both teams are coming off the back of positive results in their final group games. Benfica finished top of Group C, with a notable 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich at the same venue. Chelsea secured their place in the last 16 with a comfortable 3-0 win against ES Tunis.
The winner of this match will advance to the quarter-finals in Philadelphia, where they will face the winner of the all-Brazilian clash between Palmeiras and Botafogo.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has rotated his squad for this match. Chelsea's starting XI includes Sanchez; James, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Delap, and Neto. Benfica's starting XI features Trubin; Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Dahl; Florentino, Barreiro, Di Maria, Kokcu, Schjelderup; and Pavlidis.
The conditions in Charlotte are challenging, with stifling heat expected to "feel like" 96F (31C), and a chance of thunderstorms. The temporary grass surface installed at the Bank of America Stadium is also a factor for both teams to contend with.
Early in the game, Chelsea won an early corner. Neto had an early chance, firing a strong shot at Trubin, but the keeper was up to the task. Benfica is also making forays into the Chelsea half.
Enzo Fernandez is facing his former club, having joined Chelsea from Benfica for a reported €121 million. Liam Delap, who scored his first goal for Chelsea in the previous match, continues in the starting lineup. Angel Di Maria is a key player for Benfica, joint-top scorer in the Club World Cup with three goals.
The match is being broadcast live on DAZN. Football fans around the globe are tuning in to witness this exciting clash between two European giants in the heart of the United States.
