PEEEEEEEEP! PEEEEEEEEEP! PEEEEEEEEEEP! Chelsea 1-2 Intenazionale Milano
That was quite a game, nothing like the friendlies we've seen all summer as both teams went all out. Chelsea's limitations were highlighted by an in-form Inter starting lineup, headed by Perisic and Jovetic; but Geoffrey Kondogbia's candidate for GREATEST OWN GOAL OF ALL TIME allowed Chelsea a sneak peek back into the game that their youngsters (who'll probably be playing for Vitesse Arnhem next season) almost managed to make good of it.
Great game, thank you for reading! Anirudh Menon signing out...
95' FREEKICK FOR CHELSEA!!! Boga is brought down by the horribly out-of-form Kondogbia - and the free kick is on the edge of the box - AND IT'S STRAIGHT AT PADELLI!!!
90' Chelsea circle closer and closer but Boga's cut back is cleared away by Skriniar. Cuevas' sends in a lovely ball that Remy (two of the six subs, by the by) can't quite get to before Padelli.
88' Chelsea are making six changes. i refuse to honour this with description. SIX CHANGES WITH TWO MINUTES TO GO... DOES CONTE HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST THIS LIVE-BLOGGER'S FINGERS/BRAIN?
87' GOOOOOOOOONOOOOOOOOOOO!!! OFFSIDE!!!! FABREGAS CHIPPED IN A SUPERB BALL THAT FOUND BATSHUAYI FREE IN THE BOX, BEFORE HE SLAMMED IT INTO THE NET... He didn't look offside, to be honest!
84' Chelsea are stepping up their game here... but Inter's counters are something to behold. Eder is played in Gabigol but the Italian-Brazilian can't get it under control
81' OOO JOHNNY MUSONDA!!! The Youngster takes on Ansaldi, puts in a couple of stepovers, before smashing a goal at the side-netting via Murillo's leg. Chelsea corner... Fabregas' corner is smashed toward goal by Cahill but Padelli deals with it comfortably.
79' Chelsea smell an equalizer here and are pegging the Italians back... Kondogbia is having a torrid time, and he's pickpocketed by Kante. Batshuayi can't make much of it, though.
71' a whole draft of changes as the superb Perisic, Brozovic, Miranda and Nagotomo are taken off for Gabriel Barbossa, Christian Ansaldi, Murillo and Eder
69' Musonda's inexperience is exploited by Gagliadirni as the Italians keep Chelsea at bay... the champions of England haven't given up the ghost, though, and win a corner.
67' Perisic catalyses another Inter counter with a superb backheel to Valero. The spaniard returns the favour with a sublime ball in behind... the Croat skins Rudiger with absurd ease before trying to catch out Courtois at the near post, but he doesn't get his radar right. The Croat has been spectacular today.
65' Rudier pumps a nice little ball out wide to Moses, but D'Ambrosio does well to muscle the Nigerian off the ball and ensure Padelli can gather comfortably.
63' Joao Maria tries to dance through the middle, but David Luiz is having none of that. Moses gets upended by D'Ambrosio and Conte uses the stoppage to withdraw the disappointing Morata and the excellent Willan to give Boga and Musonda a run out against A-grade opposition.
61' WHAT A TACKLE, Skriniar! Willian skims down the right and sends in a lovely little ball that Batshuayi looks set to smash home, but Skriniar gets in ahead of him with a supreme tackle. The youngster has been excellent today.
60' From the corner, Inter counter.... OH MY JOAO MARIA!!! The Portuguese plays in Perisic with a lovely ball and the Croat sits Azpilicueta down before passing it back to Maria who is in all sorts of space inside the box. He proceeds to kick it too close to Courtois and the Belgian saves Chelsea's blushes
That was quite a game, nothing like the friendlies we've seen all summer as both teams went all out. Chelsea's limitations were highlighted by an in-form Inter starting lineup, headed by Perisic and Jovetic; but Geoffrey Kondogbia's candidate for GREATEST OWN GOAL OF ALL TIME allowed Chelsea a sneak peek back into the game that their youngsters (who'll probably be playing for Vitesse Arnhem next season) almost managed to make good of it.
Great game, thank you for reading! Anirudh Menon signing out...
Toodle-ooo!