Romelu Lukaku needed a stroke of luck to get him scoring again - and this time it came gift wrapped.
Chelsea striker Lukaku could not miss from five yards out as he was the beneficiary of a horrible defensive mix-up at the heart of the Al-Hilal defence.
They needed some good fortune because this was a far from convincing Chelsea performance and at times it looked like the Premier League giants might ruin FIFA’s best laid plans in the Club World Cup.
This whole tournament is scripted so the champions of South America meet the winners of the Champions League and, while Palmeiras have already clinched their place in Saturday’s final, Chelsea looked in serious danger of fluffing their lines.
Chelsea were wasteful at one end, sloppy in defence at the other and it took some excellent saves from keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to make sure Al-Hilal did not snatch an equaliser.
It cannot have been comfortable viewing for Thomas Tuchel as the Chelsea boss is stuck at home after testing positive for Covid last weekend.
Tuchel is still hoping to make it out to Abu Dhabi for the final and he cannot get here soon enough because Chelsea do look a team struggling for form and lacking sharpness.
Chelsea are desperate to win this trophy as it is the one they need to complete the set under Roman Abramovich, having won everything else.
They lost the Club World Cup final to Corinthians in 2012when they were Champions League holders and the chance to write names into folklore do not come along very often.
That is why you expected a more fluid performance and greater intensity. Lukaku missed chances, Hakim Ziyech and Marcos Alonso also wasted openings and you began to wonder whether it was going to be one of those nights.
Then suddenly, Chelsea were gifted a goal. Kai Havertz’s cross caused a mix-up, Ali Al Bulayhi failed to clear, the ball hit Yasser Al-Shahrani and it was presented on a plate for Lukaku to score from five yards after 32 minutes.
That should have been lift-off but Chelsea just could not put the game to bed. Havertz hit the post and they just did not click going forward.
They let Al-Hilal back into the contest and the 19,175 strong crowd, largely made up of Saudi fans, could sense an upset and some nerves crept in.
Al-Hilal, with ex-Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim in charge and recognisable names like ex-Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo, came back and made it an edgy finish for Chelsea.
Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had to make a smart block from Al-Hilal striker Moussa Marega. Mohamed Kanno forced an even better save with a long range effort.
Ultimately, Chelsea got the job done but they will have to be better on Saturday to complete their long awaited shot at history.
