Torres on Target as Chelsea Begin Pre-season with a Win

Ex-Liverpool teammates Yossi Benayoun and Fernando Torres found the back of the net as Chelsea began their preseason with a convincing 3-0 victory over Wycombe. Defender Slobodan Rajkovic scored the third goal for Chelsea.

In a behind-closed-doors game, newly appointed manager Villas Boas used 23 players, with no one playing for more than 45 minutes. Villas-Boas varied his formations, starting with Didier Drogba up front alone and John Mikel Obi anchoring a five-man midfield, then playing a familiar 4-3-3 system in the second half with Torres, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou in attack.

Torres on Target

Frank Lampard, Petr Cech and Alex were left out to rest in a 32 men squad that consisted of first team and reserve players.

Yossi Benayoun, recently recovered from a serious injury, opened the scoring on four minutes, controlling an awkward dropping pass before clipping it over the Wycombe goalkeeper Nikki Bull.

Bull made good saves to deny first the Israel playmaker and then striker Didier Drogba before defenders John Terry and Jose Bosingwa both went close.

It remained 1-0 at the interval but a new-look Chelsea line-up quickly doubled their lead.

Nicolas Anelka placed a through-ball into the path of Torres, who placed a shot into the net. Defender Slobodan Rajkovic, returning from a season-long loan at Dutch team Vitesse Arnhem, volleyed a Yuri Zhirkov corner to wrap up proceedings with a third goal.

Anelka went close on three occasions before Salomon Kalou curled a shot against the upright, and a late Torres effort was then blocked.