- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
RZ Pellets vs. Chelsea: Score, Reaction from 2016 Pre-Season Friendly
- Updated: July 20, 2016
Antonio Conte got his first win as Chelsea manager on Wednesday, as the Blues easily beat RZ Pellets 3-0 in a pre-season friendly in Austria’s Lavanttal-Arena.
Bertrand Traore opened the score just before half-time, converting from close range, as the Blues controlled the pace of the match and were clearly the better team.
Michy Batshuayi made his debut in the second half, but it was Ruben Loftus-Cheek, another substitute, who doubled Chelsea’s lead. Nathaniel Chalobah put the final score on the board in injury time.
As the club’s official Twitter account shared, Conte opted for two forwards to lead the line, with Diego Costa and Traore both featuring:
Team to face WAC RZ Pellets: Begovic, Ivanovic, Terry (c), Djilobodji, Aina, Willian, Matic, Oscar, Moses, Traore, Diego Costa. #CFCTour
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 20, 2016
Chelsea took control of the ball early, finding some success out wide, but play stopped shortly after the first whistle, as Branislav Ivanovic went down after a clash of heads.
The Serbian full-back needed some treatment but returned to the pitch after a short spell, a risky move in a meaningless pre-season friendly.
Philipp Prosenik had the first attempt on goal—an easy save for Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic—and early on, Pellets showed few signs of life. The hosts started their competitive campaign with a loss against third-tier Ebreichsdorf on Friday, so on paper, the Blues had little to fear.
Victor Moses came close to an opener after 12 minutes after a fantastic run from Willian. The Brazilian raced through the defence before spotting Moses out wide, and his curled shot bounced off the inside of the post and into the hands of the goalkeeper.
Just two minutes later, Traore should have opened the score, as the ball took a lucky bounce into the feet of Moses, who laid it off for the forward. From less than two feet out, Traore fired over the bar.
Standard Sport thought the Blues should have taken the lead:
Moses hits the post and Traore misses a sitter – Chelsea should be ahead vs RZ Pellets, but it …
continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com
