Substitute Bruno Henrique delivered a memorable performance as Flamengo staged a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Chelsea 3-1 at the Club World Cup on Friday, News360 Nigeria reports.
The Brazilian side, backed by a passionate crowd of over 54,000 fans, turned the game on its head after trailing at halftime.
Pedro Neto had opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 13th minute, capitalizing on a defensive slip to give the English side an early lead.
Despite Flamengo’s attacking intent, they struggled to find a breakthrough before the interval.
The tide turned after the break when 34-year-old Bruno Henrique came off the bench in the 56th minute and made an instant impact.
He headed in the equaliser in the 62nd minute after a smart assist from Gonzalo Plata. Just three minutes later, Flamengo took the lead through defender Danilo, who finished clinically following a knockdown by Bruno Henrique from a corner.
Chelsea’s hopes of a comeback were dented when substitute Nicolas Jackson received a straight red card in the 68th minute for a reckless challenge on Ayrton Lucas.
Flamengo sealed the win seven minutes from time as Wallace Yan pounced on a loose ball to score the third goal, sending the Brazilian supporters into wild celebrations.
The victory extended the unbeaten run of South American teams in this year’s tournament to nine matches, following Botafogo’s surprise win over European champions Paris Saint-Germain a day earlier.
Chelsea, who began the competition with a victory over Los Angeles FC, will now look to bounce back in their final group game against Esperance of Tunisia.
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