Flamengo Beat Chelsea 3–1, Top Group in Club World Cup

Brazilian club Flamengo came back strong in the second half to beat Chelsea 3–1 and climb to the top of Group D in the Club World Cup.

Earlier, Flamengo had edged past LAFC 1–0, becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout stage. South American teams are now unbeaten in 9 straight Club World Cup matches.

Chelsea actually started the game well — in the 13th minute, a deflection off a Flamengo defender landed perfectly for Pedro Neto, who slotted it in to give Chelsea a 1–0 lead.

But Flamengo flipped the script in the second half. In the 62nd minute, Bruno Henrique tapped in the equalizer from close range. Just minutes later, Danilo rose high on a corner kick and headed in to put Flamengo ahead 2–1.

Then in the 83rd minute, Wallace Yan sealed the win with Flamengo’s third goal.

Chelsea now trails Flamengo in Group D but still have a chance to reach the knockouts. The final group matches are set for Tuesday: Chelsea will face Espérance in Philadelphia, while Flamengo take on LAFC in Orlando, Florida.