Al-Hilal 0-1 Chelsea: 5 talking points as Lukaku goal seals final spot for the Blues | 2021 FIFA Club World Cup
Chelsea made it to the final of the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup with a 1-0 win over Al-Hilal in a high-intensity semi-final on Wednesday. Romelu Lukaku scored the only goal of the game as both clubs ended up falling short of getting the final touch in front of goal.
Al-Hilal tested the Blues' defense from time to time but the Champions League winners managed to do enough to prevent them from scoring. The Blues lacked ruthlessness in front of goal and Lukaku's goal also came as a result of a failed clearance from the Saudi club.
Chelsea vs. Palmeiras
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While the game was a low-scoring affair, the fans inside the stadium maintained an absolutely electrifying atmosphere. Goalkeepers from both sides had a good day at the office, making a couple of good saves each.
The Blues will now take on Palmeiras in the final on Saturday. As Chelsea hope to secure their first FIFA Club World Cup title, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Lukaku breaks goal-scoring drought but fails to impress
Romelu Lukaku bagged the winning goal for his side in the game but was far from convincing. He scored his first goal across all competitions since the Blues' 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion in December.
The goal was the result of an error from Yasir al-Shahrani’s messy clearance that bounced off Ali Al-Bulaihi kindly for the Belgian striker. He was flagged offside three times in the game and was rarely in a good position to link up with Hakim Ziyecha and Kai Havertz.
He missed a couple of opportunities before finding the back of the net and a poor run of form does not bode well for them heading into the final.
#4 Al-Hilal go down fighting against Chelsea
Al-Hilal played out a great game against the Premier League side and were unfortunate to have failed to score a goal. Mohamed Kanno and Matheus Pereira combined well throughout the game. But the Blues' defenders kept a tight ship at the back, meaning they could not get into good goalscoring positions.
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They did their club proud 💙 @Alhilal_FC
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While their campaign has come to an end, they stand a good shot at picking up a third-place finish against Al Ahly on Saturday.