New signee on his debut start, Joao Pedro scored twice as Chelsea defeated Fluminense 2-0 on Tuesday to guarantee their place in the Club World Cup final.
As Chelsea advanced to the final on Sunday, they faced either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain. The Brazilian striker opened the score in the 18th minute of the match at the MetLife Stadium in a deadly fashion, and he added another just before the hour.
After cutting short his off-season vacation to make his debut off the bench in the quarterfinal victory against Palmeiras, the 23-year-old was signed from Brighton & Hove Albion just last week for an estimated £60 million ($79 million).
He then replaced the suspended Liam Delap up front for his first Chelsea start.
After both goals against the team he began his career with and played for in the top 36 before joining Watford in England in 2020, Joao Pedro declined to celebrate.
After the 2023 Copa Libertadores champions held Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, defeated Inter Milan in the round of 16, and eliminated Manchester City’s rivals Al-Hilal in the quarterfinals, the outcome puts an end to Fluminense’s stellar tournament run.
