The Blues came into the match favoured to move on, but the Brazilian outfit had shown throughout the tournament that they had the defensive nous to topple other giants from around the world.

However, it was a former Fluminense player who cracked the code for the Premier League club, as new Chelsea signing Joao Pedro scored twice to lead the Londoners past Thiago Silva and Co.  

Chelsea will face the winners of the other semi-final between PSG and Real Madrid on Sunday.

Here are the talking points from Tuesday's semi-final between Fluminense and Chelsea.

 

Joao Pedro's arrival

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Joao Pedro has only been a Chelsea player for six days but the Brazilian has already carved himself a place in club lore with a spectacular first start for the London club.

Less than a week after finalising his big money move from Brighton, the 23-year-old showed exactly why Chelsea were so keen to get him into the side as he notched a brace to power the Blues into the final.

And both goals were absolute bangers as well — his first was a well-struck curling effort that found the top-right corner of the Fluminense goal and his second was a screamer that hit the underside of the crossbar before bouncing into the back of the net.

Joao Pedro maximised his 60 minutes on the pitch before being substituted for Nicolas Jackson, the incumbent striker that he and fellow newcomer Liam Delap were brought in this summer to compete with.

Enzo Maresca will be thrilled with Joao Pedro's performance on Tuesday as well as Delap's outings earlier in the tournament, which could mean that Jackson is the odd man out when the new campaign begins in a few weeks' time.

Fluminense defence breached

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Fluminense advanced this far into the competition on the back of a steadfast defence that was suffocating at times, thanks in large part to Thiago Silva's leadership and guile in the middle of a back three.

The Tricolor only gave up three total goals in the five games prior to the Chelsea encounter, relying on their superb organisation at the back to allow their counter-attack to strike when the opportunity arose.

However, Tuesday's match did not go according to plan for the Brazilian side, as Chelsea were able to pass the ball around with ease and used their pace and precision to open Fluminense up.

One match doesn't define their entire journey however, and Fluminense leave the United States having made a massive impression both on and off the pitch against some of the toughest opposition in the world.

Chelsea on the rise

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The Chelsea project under Maresca has been a rousing success thus far, with a major European trophy, a Champions League berth (that was earned through the league) and now the possibility of a Club World Cup title all coming within a couple of months of each other.

But the real improvements have been in the way the Blues approach the game as they have fully transitioned into a positive, free-flowing side under their charismatic manager.

Tuesday's semi-final was another example of that, as the Premier League side were relentless in the New Jersey heat against an opponent that — as noted above — were not easily breached.

With over £220 million spent just this month in targeted signings, a deeper Chelsea have to be regarded as a very real Premier League title threat in the upcoming season.

And with their newfound penchant for tournament success, another run at Champions League glory may not be far behind.

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