Club World Cup: Chelsea see off LAFC in Group D opener
Atlanta: Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez helped Chelsea got off to a triumphant start at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in Group D opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After initial attempts on goal from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, Chelsea finally picked the LAFC lock with Jackson playing a perfectly weighted ball into Neto, who cut to his left and finished with aplomb past Hugo Lloris for the opener.
To start the second stanza, LAFC looked to veteran striker and FIFA World Cup winner Olivier Giroud for a spark against his former club, but it was fellow substitute David Martinez getting Chelsea’s attention with a pair of shots that flashed wide. Ryan Hollingshead also fancied a crack from distance, only to see it swerve over the crossbar, FIFA reports.
As the second half wore on, though, Chelsea’s class proved too much for the Major League Soccer side. Timothy Tillman cleared a Jackson header off the line to keep the deficit at one, but nothing could be done to prevent Enzo Fernandez from doubling the lead. The Argentinian met a cross from Chelsea debutante Liam Delap and steered home to polish off the victory.
“Very good result. At this stage of the season, it’s normal you have to manage these kind of things. Overall, the performance was good, and we won the game,” said Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea have now won nine of their last 10 outings. Their last three victories have come in three competitions. The first clinched UEFA Champions League qualification, the second conquered the UEFA Conference League and the third gave them a flying start in the US.
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said, “I think Chelsea won, deservingly so. We clawed our way back into the game and played a little better in the second half and had the odd chance to get the equaliser.”