Kai Havertz was the hero for Chelsea on Saturday evening as his penalty proved decisive as Thomas Tuchel’s side defeated Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final.
The South American champions had cancelled out the Blues for the majority of an attritional tie, with Raphael Veiga’s penalty for the Brazilian side cancelling out Romelu Lukaku’s opener.
Havertz struck the decisive penalty kick in the 117 th minute of the final which had drifted into extra-time and was three minutes away from a penalty shootout.
Cesar Azpilicueta’s strike towards goal struck the arm of defender Luan Garcia – who was sent-off three minutes later for bringing down Havertz, who was through on goal.
It was another decisive moment for the German playmaker, who had netted the only goal of the game last May as the Blues defeated Manchester City in the Champions League final.
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Havertz is turning into a big-game player for Tuchel’s side, despite netting just six goals in the Premier League across 43 appearances in the division.
Having been signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2020 in a deal worth in the region of £72million, Havertz has now delivered multiple decisive moments for the club.
None were more crucial than his winning goal in last season’s Champions League final, but his strike from the penalty spot against Palmeiras on Saturday has meant he has broken an 11-year record held by Lionel Messi.
The Argentine superstar was the last player to net in the finals of both the Champions League and subsequent Club World Cup, back in 2011.
Messi netted in that year’s Champions League final as he produced a Man of the Match performance as Pep Guardiola’s side defeated Manchester United 3-1, with Messi on the scoresheet alongside Pedro and David Villa.
Messi went on to be decisive in the subsequent Club World Cup final, as he bagged a brace in the 4-0 demolition of Brazilian club Santos – a match in which Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas also found the net.
No other player has scored in a combination of the Champions League and Club World Cup finals in over a decade since, until Havertz.
The Blues winning the tournament also continued the domination of European clubs in the competition – they have now won each of the last nine titles and 14 of the most recent 15.
Indeed, the one loss by a Champions League winning side in that run was the Blues, who were edged out by Brazilian team Corinthians after their 2012 Champions League triumph.
The Blues have now joined Juventus, Ajax, Manchester United and Bayern Munich in an exclusive list of clubs to have won every major tournament.
