Chelsea started their Club World Cup campaign with a victory against MLS side Los Angeles FC, with Liam Delap making an impressive debut for the club.
Chelsea cruised to an opening win courtesy of goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.
Remarkably, the game marked the first time ever an English side has faced an American team in a competitive fixture.
The evening started with alarmingly low attendance at the Mercedez-Benz Arena.
Fans were shocked as Chelsea played their opening Club World Cup game in 'empty' stadium
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The stadium can hold up to 71,000 fans, but instead displayed an array of red, empty seats that were not occupied, and marks the latest chapter in the ongoing ticket crisis at the tournament.
The local kick-off time of 3pm on a weekday also clearly impacted the amount of supporters that could attend.
As the game kicked off, Chelsea immediately asserted their dominance and controlled the game.
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Pedro Neto scored Chelsea's opener on the night
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Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the 34th minute, getting on the end of an incisive through ball from Nicolas Jackson, but the Portuguese still had a lot to do.
The winger checked back inside, sending LAFC full-back Ryan Hollingshead sliding in the opposite direction, before assuredly slotting the ball home despite losing his footing.
The second half remained comfortable for the Blues, despite the introduction of former Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud for the MLS side.
New £30million signing Liam Delap also joined the pitch and had a significant impact on the game.
READ MORE: Fans shocked as Chelsea play opening Club World Cup game in 'empty' stadium
Straight away, the 22-year-old took the ball and drove at LAFC defender Aaron Long, taking it around the centre-back before cutting it back to the oncoming Enzo Fernandez, who was unable to convert.
The two would link up once more, this time with more success, as Delap curled a pearler of a delivery into the box for Fernandez to touch on his thigh before smashing home to seal the victory.
The 2-0 victory demonstrates the Blues’ dominance throughout the match, and, in the first ever competitive clash between an MLS and Premier League side, shows the disparity in quality.
After the game, Delap expressed his delight in his opening two weeks as a Chelsea player.
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Liam Delap set Enzo Fernandez up to seal the victory
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“It's a really happy feeling for me. I'm so excited to be here and play my first game and contribute. Yeah, it's a good feeling.
“They've welcomed me really well and I've only had a few sessions here but I can't wait for me.”
Chelsea boss Maresca was also complimentary of his new striker: “The good thing about Liam is that he knows how we want to play so the process is quite quick.”
Reflecting on the performance, he added: “Very good result. At this stage of the season, it's also normal to manage different types of things.
“Overall, I think the performance has been good.”
Maresca’s team face Brazilian side Flamengo next, in what many have tipped to be their most challenging clash of the group stage.
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