ATLANTA — Pedro Neto scored in the first half and Enzo Fernández in the 79th minute to give Chelsea a 2-0 win over LAFC in Group D’s Club World Cup opener on Monday.

Chelsea put pressure on LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris early into the match. Neto found the breakthrough in the 34th minute, picking up a pass from Nicolas Jackson and cutting onto his left foot for a near-post finish.

“Very good result,” said Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca. “At this stage of the season, it’s normal you have to manage these kind of things. Overall, the performance was good, and we won the game.”

There were 22,137 fans in attendance at the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium, many of them backing LAFC. The Black and Gold had positive sparks of energy and possession throughout the first half, but struggled to find any real opportunities in front of goal.

LAFC almost got one back just before the 60-minute mark, but Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez came up with an important save to keep Denis Bouanga off the scoresheet. The Black and Gold aimed to get some more experience onto the pitch at the half, bringing on former Chelsea man Olivier Giroud, to no avail.

“I think Chelsea won, deservingly so,” said LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo. “We clawed our way back into the game and played a little better in the second half and had the odd chance to get the equaliser.”

Coming in off the bench, Fernández made no mistake finishing Liam Delap’s cross, adding another tally to the scoresheet for The Blues.

Chelsea’s day was made even more positive by the debut of Delap, a promising 22-year-old English striker signed from Ipswich Town.

“It’s a really happy feeling for me,” Delap said. “I’m so excited to be here and play my first game and contribute is a good feeling. They’ve welcomed me really well, I’ve only had a few sessions here but I can’t wait for more.”

While Chelsea is the favorite to top Group D, LAFC’s next two matches become essential to moving on to the knock-out rounds. LAFC vs. Flamengo will prove to be an entertaining game, with the two sides most likely battling it out for the group’s second spot.