Chelsea vs Esperance live updates: Tosin goal opens scoring in Club World Cup 2025 Group D decider – The New York Times

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Tosin Adarabioyo and Liam Delap have given Chelsea a 2-0 lead on the stroke of half-time in their winner-takes-all Group D clash against Esperance.
They were key breakthroughs for the Premier League side at the end of a first half lacking inspiration and has left them on course for a last-16 place.
Esperance will need to mount a famous comeback if they are to make it through, as only a victory will take them into the knockouts.
Having beaten both of these teams, Flamengo — who face the eliminated LAFC tonight — have already confirmed top spot in Group D.
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Here come the teams for the second half. It looks like the same XI for Chelsea, so no changes there.
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Liam Delap off the mark for Chelsea… A big moment for him and the team.
Further back, I know they’re both starting tonight — on different flanks — but should Josh Acheampong move ahead of Malo Gusto in the pecking order at Chelsea?
A pair of Chelsea goals in quick succession might be a backbreaker for Esperance and history isn’t on their side to stage a comeback.
The last time Esperance they came back from a two-goal deficit to win was SEVEN years ago — against Ugandan side KCCA in the 2018 CAF Champions League.
And Liam Delap hasn’t even had an off-season break yet, Austin! Remarkable.
For anyone wondering, the Group D winners Flamengo are currently goalless with eliminated LAFC at half-time in Orlando.
With nothing resting on it, that’s perhaps not a surprise.
Liam Delap’s final goal for Ipswich Town came on April 5 vs Wolves in the Premier League.
Nearly three months later, the 22-year-old has his first for Chelsea.
It has looked for much of this half as if Chelsea might be sleepwalking into a goalless draw, or even the 1-0 defeat that would send them home.
Instead they have put themselves on the verge of the round of 16 with a rare set-piece goal and a demonstration of everything that Liam Delap can bring to this team: strength, skill and composure when it counts.
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Austin’s last point might be the key one. Maybe the Chelsea players out there decided they didn’t like the idea of a pointed lecture at half-time and wanted to make their boss happy.
Fair to say this probably worked.
This was a much closer half than the scoreline suggests. Esperance had chances but just lacked the quality and pace to finish.
Credit Chelsea for finally breaking through. The second half suddenly lacks much drama — and, most important for Chelsea, it means that barring disaster, Enzo Maresca will be able to rest his group of fatigued starters on yellow cards for this entire match.
HT: Esperance 0-2 Chelsea
The half-time whistle soon sounds after that second goal.
From feeling a little flat and Esperance keeping their glimmer of hope alive, Chelsea looked at the clock and decided to get the thing done inside added time ahead of the interval.
Two neat goals, and Chelsea will surely be in the round of 16 to face Benfica from here.
45+5' Esperance 0-2 Chelsea
WOW! The dam has burst.
What a gorgeous goal for Liam Delay, who takes a neat touch, turns inside and then shows lovely composure to roll the ball home.
Albeit with Ben Said offering little resistance in goal.
That might well be that.
45+3' Esperance 0-1 Chelsea
AH! WE DO GET OUR GOAL!
And it’s Chelsea with it — a beautifully placed header from Tosin Adarabioyo from Enzo Fernandez’s delicious free kick.
Lovely goal.
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45+1' Esperance 0-0 Chelsea
I think we’d take a field goal at this point, right Austin?
Chelsea are trying. Madueke again skips through into some space and tries to clip the ball through to the onrushing Fernandez.
The Chelsea captain fires a fierce effort that looks good — but ends up well off target.
We have five added minutes to come before the interval…
The U.S. DAZN broadcast points out that the Tunisia national team is sometimes referred to as the Eagles.
This game between Chelsea and Tunisia’s Esperance is taking place at the stadium that is primarily home to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
44' Esperance 0-0 Chelsea
Beautiful from Noni Madueke, nutmegging Ben Hmida and getting into clean air down the left.
But once again, the cross into the box is poor and Esperance clear the danger with ease.
Chelsea’s control over this match is extensive, but brittle. For all their possession, Esperance goalkeeper Ben Said has hardly been tested, with the Tunisians fairly comfortably blocking off any spaces in the final third.
Whenever they lose the ball, Lavia looks less than entirely convincing as the lone defensive midfielder.
39' Esperance 0-0 Chelsea
And again, Malo Gusto crosses to the back post trying to seek out Liam Delap and the ball goes sailing over his head, and out for a goal kick.
Chelsea currently looking like a side that knows it’s much better than its opposition and it only needs to draw.
That could yet work, but it could also be a dangerous tempo to set.
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35' Esperance 0-0 Chelsea
A good spell of prolonged possession and threat from Chelsea, camped on the edge of the Esperance box. Although the ball isn’t moving particularly crisply.
It earns a corner that leads to Acheampong trying his luck. His shot forces a spill from Ben Said and it looks like Liam Delap is free to slot home the rebound.
But he fails to do so — probably safe in the knowledge he was several yards offside when the shot was made.
Esperance’s pressure on the Chelsea backline continues as this half pushes forward. At times, Chelsea seem so lackadaisical on the ball, allowing the Tunisian side to either win possession deep in the offensive half, force a corner kick, or free kick.
Credit to Esperance for being a bit more aggressive rather than conservative without possession.
32' Esperance 0-0 Chelsea
A worry here for Chelsea as Tosin Adarabioyo appears to jar his ankle when chasing down an Esperance break.
It leaves him with a bit of a limp, while Badiashile helps Chelsea survive the next phase as Sasse finds the ball at his feet just a few yards from goal.
I’ve seen enough to think Esperance will keep getting some chances here.
Time for that official cooling break now.

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