Online Reporter
With the Blues’ pre-season tour in danger of coming to a disappointing conclusion before this game, Xabi Alonso’s side gave fans something to be excited about with a 3-0 win.Previous losses to Spurs and Juventus saw pessimism creep into the fanbase, which will now surely be replaced with overwhelming optimism.
Pre-season matches under Alonso have typically started slowly on this tour.
Not this one. Alonso, for the first time, set up in the three-at-the-back system that we saw him use frequently at Bayer Leverkusen.
Joao Pedro had a huge chance in the opening 12 minutes after being set up by Robert Sanchez of all people, with both teams missing early chances.
He wasn’t the only one wasteful though, with veteran signing Danny Welbeck missing a chance to grab his maiden Blues goal with a left-footed effort that only hit the side-netting.
Lorenzo Torriani in the AC Milan goal stood firm to deny Pedro Neto — playing as a right wing-back in what could be a new role for him this season — as he cut inside onto his left foot and fired towards the bottom corner. helsea began dominating possession while Milan looked to hit them on the break.
Winger Rafael Leao continually used his pace to try and get the better of Wesley Fofana and Josh Acheampong at the back, but with little success.
Acheampong will have done his chances of staying at Stamford Bridge this season no harm at all. With the youngster in need of more consistent minutes to develop, Acheampong locked Leao down as if he were a Championship player.
The breakthrough finally came through Pedro, courtesy of an Austin MacPhee set-piece routine. Caicedo looped a corner into the box, with Pedro making space and losing his marker to head the ball down and into the top of the net for 1-0 just before half-time. It was a much better finish than the effort he blazed into Row Z moments before after being set up by the dangerous Marco Palestra. Half-time felt as long as Justin Bieber’s performance midway through the World Cup final, with the Blues remaining in the changing room for an extended period.
But whatever Alonso said to his players worked, whereas Milan’s host of changes failed.
Pedro had a brace almost immediately after the restart, tapping a perfectly placed Neto cross into the corner before wheeling off to perform his iconic hand-gesture celebration. — Sun.
