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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.
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.
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.
#3 Kepa Arrizabalaga's form might give Thomas Tuchel a selection dilemma going forward
Kepa Arrizabalaga had to step up in the absence of Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who lifted the AFCON title with Senegal. In the semi-final, Kepa produced one of the best saves in the competition as he denied Moussa Marega from eight yards out.
He prevented efforts from Odion Ighalo and Kanno to keep a clean sheet. It was his third clean sheet in the last six games across all competitions, in which he has conceded just three goals.
Mendy is expected to retain his place in the starting XI when Chelsea return to league action from this competition. But Kepa's form gives Thomas Tuchel the option to rest Mendy ahead of key fixtures. It is a great news for Tuchel and fans with the club facing a busy schedule in the coming months.
#2 Leonardo Jardim's Al-Hilal have a European feel about them
Al-Hilal had a solid outing in the semi-final fixture and were able to put up a good fight against the Blues. Leonardo Jardim deserves praise for his side's high-intensity play tonight. He has a solid squad at his disposal at the club with many of the players in the starting XI having some experience in Europe's top five leagues.
How they reacted upon losing possession and tracked back to prevent counter-attacks showed the implementation of modern tactics at the club. Players like Moussa Marega and Matheus Pereira were their standout players here.
While they came up short here. they displayed a lot of promise in the game and look to be on the right track under Jardim.
#1 Chelsea need to sort out their attacking play on priority
Chelsea have a lot of talented players at their disposal with Havertz, Mason Mount, Ziyech and Lukaku all lining up in the attacking department. So, it is a wonder as to why they continue to face problems in the final third.
They recorded five shots on target but were far from convincing. Ziyech and Havertz saw their efforts fizzling just past the woodwork as Lukaku was guilty of poor movement inside the box.
Probably, the absence of Tuchel on the sidelines, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, was also a factor for their poor outing here. The German manager is an inspirational figure on the sidelines.
But they still need to work on their attacking play for the final as well the remainder of the season.
