The insane speed of Joao Pedro’s thunderous second goal against Fluminense has been revealed.
Pedro, who joined the Blues just days ago after completing his £60million summer switch from Brighton, immediately hit the ground running in a Chelsea shirt on Tuesday night, netting twice to send his side through to Sunday’s Club World Cup final with a 2-0 win.
The Brazilian, who once played for Fluminense and opted not to celebrate either of his goals, scored his first in the 18th minute with a superb curling effort before doubling his side’s lead early in the second half.
Chopping inside on his favoured right foot, Pedro thundered his second goal in off the crossbar, striking the ball with such force that he fell to the floor before wheeling away to celebrate.
FIFA analysts measured the speed of the strike and have revealed it travelled at an astonishing 75mph (miles per hour).
Pedro, who will hope to begin the new Premier League season as Enzo Maresca’s first-choice striker amid competition from Nicolas Jackson and fellow summer signing Liam Delap, was denied the chance to hunt down a hat-trick on debut after being substituted midway through the second half.
The insane speed of Joao Pedro’s rocket for Chelsea against Fluminense has been revealed
The Brazilian’s brace fired Chelsea into the Club World Cup final with a comfortable 2-0 victory
FIFA analysts have revealed that Pedro’s strike was hit at a staggering speed of 75mph
Impressed by the Brazilian’s performance, former Tottenham and Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale heaped praise on Pedro and waxed lyrical about his opening goal at half time.
‘It is his opportunity to stamp his mark on the team straight away and he’s done that in a Club World Cup semi-final,’ Bale told DAZN.
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel added: ‘He has just repaid the faith his manager has shown in him. Fantastic finish and a great goal.’
The Blues will take on either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final on Sunday, with the tournament having already earned Chelsea a sizeable fund to add to their transfer kitty.
Thanks to the goals scored by Pedro, who is practically paying for himself at this stage, Chelsea earned an additional £22m on top of the £60m they had already secured by participating in FIFA’s United States tournament.
