Chelsea navigated what turned into a tricky semi-final in Abu Dhabi to give themselves the chance to be world champions this weekend as Romelu Lukaku struck his first goal for a month to overcome Asian champions Al Hilal.
Yet they will need to improve considerably to win the Club World Cup for the first time in their history when they face Brazilians Palmeiras on Saturday evening after what looked initially like a straightforward task turned into an unexpectedly nervy occasion, as Chelsea faded in the second half and Al Hilal surged with confidence.
The Saudi Arabian team, coached by Leonardo Jardim, the highly-respected former Monaco coach who nurtured the Bernardo Silva-Kylian Mbappe generation during his time in the principality, gave Chelsea a more uncomfortable final twenty minutes than the European champions would have anticipated after they had dominated the first half.