According to the The Evening Standard, Chelsea began the second phase of their pre-season program on a high, as they comfortably beat Italian giants Inter Milan 2-0 in the International Champions Cup at the Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, United States.
Jose Mourinho will be delighted with the way his side performed against a new look Inter side. The Portuguese boss will know the importance of getting these early wins, and building a rapport between the players and himself. The Barclays Premier League season kicks off in less than three weeks, and Chelsea are currently in the United States, participating in the competition with Premier League rivals Everton as fellow participants. The cup also includes two Spanish sides in Real Madrid and Valencia, accompanied by Inter, AC Milan and Juventus from the Italian front. The only participation from the host nation is through the Los Angeles Galaxy side.
The former Madrid boss began the match with an attacking lineup, with new signing Marco van Ginkel making his full debut for the Blues. Petr Cech started in goal, and it was Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku who led the attack for the side. Given the depth of the Chelsea squad of 18, Mourinho used his full arsenal by giving players on the bench a chance to show their qualities and get a few precious minutes in. However, a notable absentee was Frank Lampard, who Mourinho will slowly integrate into the squad as the season progresses.
The first half saw Brazilian ace Oscar kick off the scoring in the 13th minute, with an impressive finish. The second goal for Chelsea came soon after, when Victor Moses won a penalty in the 29th minute. Hazard took responsibility of the spot kick, and dispatched it, putting the Blues firmly in the lead before half time. Moses played an exceptional role in both goals, a fact which puts pressure on other strikers.
The second half saw a red card for Inter’s Hugo Campagnaro, when he lunged unprofessionally on John Terry. The sending off gave Chelsea a comfortable second half, which also saw Demba Ba coming close to scoring.