ES Tunis 0-3 Chelsea: Tosin, Delap & George fire Blues into Club World Cup knockout stages | OneFootball

Chelsea have qualified for the Club World Cup knockout stages after beating Espérance Sportive de Tunis in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Enzo Maresca's Blues completed a professional job at Lincoln Financial Field to secure a 3-0 victory over the Tunisian side to book their place in the last-16, which will see them face Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday.

Tosin Adarabioyo and Liam Delap both netted in first-half stoppage time to give Chelsea a two-goal cushion heading into the interval.

Enzo Fernandez celebrating with Tosin Adarabioyo after the Chelsea pair combined to score the Blues' opener vs ES Tunis. | IMAGO / Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Substitute Tyrique George added a third in second half stoppage time to put the victory stamp on Chelsea's performance.

Chelsea had an early chance inside the opening few minutes in Philadelphia. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who was among the eight changes made by Maresca, whipped a corner into the box to find Benoit Badiashile, but he could only glance his header just wide of the far post.

Dewsbury-Hall nearly broke the deadlock after 20 minutes when Malo Gusto delivered a cross to the back post. The 26-year-old met it with a header, but he could only steer it back across goal, allowing the defence to eventually clear the danger.

It was far from a thriller in the first 45 between ES Tunis and Chelsea. But in first half stoppage, to their relief, Maresca's Blues added two in quick succession. Enzo Fernandez was the provider of both, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Liam Delap getting on the scoresheet.

Tosin glanced Enzo's free-kick into the back of the net, while Delap netted his first goal for Chelsea following some brilliant footwork inside the box to put the Blues on the brink of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Maresca had Saturday's last-16 tie already in mind and replaced Delap and Romeo Lavia just before the hour mark to ensure they were available to face Benfica, and handed new signing Dario Essugo and youngster Marc Guiu a 30 minute run-out in the sweltering heat in Philadelphia.

Noni Madueke almost added a third for Chelsea as he flashed a shot across Bechir Ben Said's goal, but his effort went agonisingly wide.

It was Madueke's final involvement as Maresca continued to make changes. After fielding several questions ahead of all of their Group D fixtures, Andrey Santos was finally given his chance to play some minutes in a Chelsea shirt.

An exciting partnership awaits Chelsea in Fernandez and Delap during the 2025/26 campaign. | IMAGO / Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Chelsea had a penalty decision overturned with 13 minutes to play. Andrey Santos saw his shot hit the hand of an Esperance defender and a penalty was given. But after a VAR review, referee Yael Falcon Perez overturned his decision to offer the Tunisian's a lifeline.

Maresca handed another debut out, giving Mamadou Sarr, who arrived from RC Strasbourg, some minutes in the final stages as Chelsea looked to close the game out.

Tyrique George sealed the victory by adding a third in stoppage time, finding the net from distance.

Chelsea managed to keep a clean sheet and get back to winning ways to ensure they clinched progression into the last-16. They will now face Benfica for a spot in the quarter-finals. Their road to the final has become clearer.

Job done for the Blues in Philadelphia and they now head to Charlotte, where their Club World Cup campaign begins to heat up and really begins. How far can they go?