Football | Palmeiras 1 - 2 Chelsea

Chelsea’s quest to become the world's best carries on

They secured their place in the semi-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup with victory over Palmeiras

Author | Lauren W

Much of the attention inevitably fell on Brazil’s teenage prodigy Estevao Willian, who scored against the club he is set to join.

Cole Palmer opened the scoring after 16 minutes and, although Estevao levelled with a fine finish early in the second half, the winner came courtesy of an own goal from Giay Agustin, who turned Malo Gusto’s cross into his own net.

All eyes, however, were on Estevao. The 18-year-old showcased his talent with an outstanding strike from a tight angle in the 53rd minute, underlining why Chelsea are prepared to pay up to £52m for his services.

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Chelsea also handed a debut to £55m signing Joao Pedro, following his arrival from Brighton just two days ago. The Brazilian forward impressed, but there were concerns elsewhere as Liam Delap and Levi Colwill both picked up bookings that rule them out of the semi-final, while captain Reece James suffered an injury in the warm-up.

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Chelsea will face Fluminense in Tuesday's semi-final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Which players caught the eye?

Estevao Willian offered Chelsea fans a glimpse of what is to come. The teenager showed quick feet and composure to escape the attention of England defender Levi Colwill before rattling a superb finish in off the bar beyond Robert Sanchez. It was a fitting farewell to Palmeiras and only adds to the anticipation surrounding his arrival at Stamford Bridge next season.

Who impressed and who fell short?

Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto looked lively in attack, while Joao Pedro's debut provided encouragement despite his failure to find the net. Liam Delap struggled to make an impact before being withdrawn, and there was a notable absence in Nicolas Jackson, who was left out despite serving a two-match suspension.