A match that kicked off at 4pm local time finished shortly before 9pm. Yet the minutes the Blues players were on the pitch were, in the majority, impressive. We controlled much of the game and fashioned numerous chances. The first was taken in the 64th minute.

It was Reece James who broke the deadlock, as his intelligently taken near-post free-kick caught out Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. We appeared set for victory from that point, but then a game-altering storm delay forced the players off for almost two hours.

After the match restarted, Benfica threw everything forward and were awarded a stoppage-time penalty following a VAR review. Angel Di Maria stepped up and converted. Extra time was required.

In the second of the additional 30 minutes, Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was sent off. That swung momentum back in our favour – and we took advantage.

With 108 minutes on the clock, Christopher Nkunku struck. There were scenes of jubilation across the pitch. Yet more was to come as Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also netted to confirm our progression to the last eight.

Palmeiras will be our opponents in the quarter-final stage, and the Blues will spend the Fourth of July in Philadelphia bidding to secure a place in the last four.

A strong start

Maresca made seven changes to his starting XI, with many of those rested against ES Tunis returning to the side.

Robert Sanchez started in goal. The back four consisted of James, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile and Marc Cucurella. Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo were in midfield. And Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto, and Liam Delap were in our attack.

The heat in Charlotte was intense, but we started with purpose and Pedro Neto worked Trubin in the Benfica goal inside the opening three minutes.

Maresca's side quickly took control of the game. We pinned Benfica into their half and probed their backline, with Palmer moving inside off the left and the overlapping Cucurella causing the Portuguese giants' defence problems. And it was the Spaniard who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening period.

It was a move started by Lavia, who reclaimed possession and found Pedro Neto. The winger played a pass to Delap, whose cutback was deflected into the path of Cucurella. He remained composed, shifted the ball onto his right foot, and fired beyond Trubin. However, Antonio Silva was on hand to clear off the line.

Continuing to push

The Ukrainian goalkeeper was forced into action again soon after, as Palmer skipped beyond Fredrik Aursnes and rifled a shot to the near post that was well saved.

Aside from a couple of breaks forward, Benfica offered little in an attacking sense during the first half. It meant we were able to sustain pressure, and Cucurella again came close as he received a Lavia pass, broke into the box, and tried to beat Trubin at his near post. The Benfica goalkeeper blocked the effort once more.

Cucurella was involved in our next opportunity, too, as he controlled another crossfield pass and slipped the ball to Palmer inside the 18-yard box.

The England international evaded a challenge and tried to guide the ball home, but it was well blocked and we went into the break level.

Staying in control

The pattern of the game resumed after the interval. We continued to test the Benfica backline, and Delap was inches away from turning home a cross before Caicedo fired a shot from distance narrowly wide. Badiashile also threatened from a corner.

There was a rare scare from a rare Benfica attack, as a miss-hit cross from Aursnes flew toward the Blues' net. But Sanchez reacted well to get his body between the line and the ball to save.

Our next chance fell to Fernandez, who, against his former club, almost found the far corner with a volley that drifted across goal and narrowly wide. The pressure was building.

Deadlock broken

And just after the hour mark, we went ahead. For the many chances we had fashioned from open play, it was a set-piece that enabled the Blues to take the lead. It was a moment of intelligence and quality from James.

Palmer had won a free-kick wide on the left, and Pedro Neto and James stood over the ball. A cross was expected, but James whipped his delivery toward the near post. Trubin was caught out and the ball nestled in the net. We had the lead.

Benfica showed greater ambition after falling behind, and the game started to become stretched. Palmer was given another sight of goal but fired wide, before the Portuguese side fashioned a good opportunity.

A surge forward from Aursnes enabled him to break beyond Cucurella and cut a pass back into the path of the onrushing Prestianni. The Argentine had a good sight of goal but rushed his finish and the ball bounced harmlessly wide.

With space to exploit, the Blues looked a threat every time we broke forward. One Cucurella pass did get Delap in on goal, and he rounded Trubin to score. However, the offside flag was then raised. It was the right decision.

It proved the England international's last involvement as he was one of three players brought off by Maresca with ten minutes to play. Nkunku was his replacement, while James and Fernandez stepped off for Malo Gusto and Dewsbury-Hall.

As the final minutes began to tick down, our victory looked secure. We continued to defend well and carried a threat on the break, but then the elements took over and due to severe weather in Charlotte, the game was suspended.

Almost two hours passed before the players returned to the pitch. A short warm-up was undertaken before the match restarted. Five minutes or normal time remained.

Trevoh Chalobah was introduced by Maresca, with Lavia replaced. It was a switch that saw Gusto move into midfield for the final moments of the contest.

Naturally, Benfica threw everything they had at the Blues' goal to try to force an equaliser. Six minutes of additional time were indicated. In the second, a softly-awarded free-kick was flighted into the Chelsea area and was headed toward goal by Nicolas Otamendi.

It glanced the hand of Gusto and, after a VAR review, a penalty was awarded. Di Maria converted and a further 30 minutes were needed to separate the sides.

More drama

Chelsea were able to reset during the break in play, and the first incident of note in extra time swung momentum back in the Blues' favour. Prestianni, who had been booked late in normal time, fouled Colwill on the edge of the Benfica area and was shown a second yellow card.

With a man fewer, Benfica dropped back and looked to hit Chelsea on the counter. They did that well, with Kerem Akturkoglu forcing Sanchez into a save with an attempt from distance.

The Blues had chances, too. Gusto worked Trubin before a neat move enabled Palmer to fire at goal from inside the area. Unfortunately, the Benfica goalkeeper pushed the ball away, and we weren't able to make anything of the rebound.

Maresca opted against any alterations at half-time of extra time. Those on the pitch were trusted to get the job done.

Palmer came close with a shot from distance soon after the restart. Once again, the pressure on the Benfica goal was building. And in the 108th minute of what felt like one of the longest games in Chelsea history, we re-established our lead.

It was a goal born out of effort and industry. Caicedo won possession in the Benfica half and moved the ball to Palmer. The Ecuadorian found the energy to burst forward and, after having a pass rolled to him in the area, fired toward goal.

Trubin got a touch on the low drive, but it deflected into the path of Otamendi and Nkunku. The Benfica defender tried to clear, but the Blues forward managed to block the ball, get to his feet, and lift his shot into the net.

Players sprinted in every direction in celebration. Substitutes burst onto the field. So did Maresca and his coaching staff. It was a pure release of emotion.

Twelve minutes remained – and we made good use of them to guarantee victory and then add gloss to the scoreline.

Our third goal of the night also started with Caicedo, as he reclaimed possession in midfield and fed Pedro Neto. The winger had a clear to goal and remained calm to guide a finish beyond Trubin.

We weren't done. Soon after the restart, Nkunku brought a long pass down, fed Palmer, and he put Dewsbury-Hall through on goal. The midfielder dinked his finish beyond Trubin to seal our victory.

The end to an extraordinary game soon followed. Our quarter-final place was secured. Palmeiras come next.

The teams

Chelsea: Sanchez; James (c) (Gusto 80), Badiashile (Tosin 70), Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo (Anselmino 118), Lavia (Chalobah 85); Pedro Neto, Fernandez (Dewsbury-Hall 80); Palmer; Delap (Nkunku 80)
Chelsea substitutes: Penders, Slonina, Acheampong, Sarr, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Madueke, George, Guiu
Goalscorers: James 64, Nkunku 108, Pedro Neto 114, Dewsbury-Hall 117
Booked: Caicedo 61, Colwill 102

Benfica: Trubin; Aursnes (Tiago Gouveia 85), Antonio Silva, Otamendi (c), Dahl; Kokcu (Joao Veloso 85), Florentino Luis (Prestianni 70), Barreiro; Di Maria, Pavlidis (Belotti 70), Schjelderup (Akturkoglu 46)
Benfica substitutes: Diogo Ferreira, Leandro Santos, Bajrami, Wynder, Fernandez, Leandro Santos, Goncalo Oliveria, Rafeal Luis, Diogo Prioste, Bruma, Joao Rego
Goalscorers: Di Maria 90+5
Booked: Pavlidis 50, Florentino Luis 62, Kokcu 82, Antonio Silva 90+5, Prestianni 90+6
Sent off: Prestianni 92

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