Chelsea's interim manager Rafael Benitez has stated his belief that his side's failure to convert their chances was the major factor behind their 1-0 defeat to Corinthians in the final of the Club World Cup earlier today.

The likes of Fernando Torres, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard all spurned opportunities from good positions throughout the course of the game, while Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio made a string of saves.

"They were very physical from the first minute with every challenge and every second ball. As soon as they scored, they were passing and keeping the ball which made it difficult," Benitez told the club's official website.

"You can analyse the game, but we created four very good chances, which is a lot, their goalkeeper was the best player on the pitch.

"We knew we would have chances in between the lines. We had possession and very good counter-attacks but it's a question of taking your chances."

The defeat means that Benitez has now lost on both occasions that he has reached the final of the competition. The last time he got to that stage was with Liverpool in 2005.