Goals from Estevao and Joao Pedro guaranteed a great night for Enzo Maresca’s team in their opening game following Club World Cup victory. Returning to Stamford Bridge in style, Chelsea had a 2-0 pre-season victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
Though having little training time, the Blues displayed sharpness and energy just weeks away from their New Jersey victory. Estevao started the scoring early while Pedro completed the result late on in front of the home audience.
Maresca gave young players including Andrey Santos, Liam Delap, and Estevao starts. Filip Jorgensen, Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, and Tyrique George were among the lineup participants.
Stamford Bridge heavyweights threatened from the opening whistle. Working right wing, the Brazilian connected well with Palmer. Before the Englishman hit the bar, the couple built early opportunities. Estevao responded fastest and slotted home the rebound for the opener.
The Brazil international kept surprising, nearly quadrupling the lead before halftime. With two Alex Grimaldo free-kicks their only opportunities, both of which were stopped by Jorgensen, Leverkusen provided little threat.
Maresca brought in fresh faces including Tosin, Jorrel Hato, Dario Essugo, and Pedro Neto following the break. Estevao took a key position and kept the London side ticking in possession.
Through Patrik Schick, Leverkusen had a great opportunity, but Tosin’s block maintained the Blues up front. Then joined Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro; Gittens made an immediate impression, setting up Estevao for a shot that just missed.
More changes followed, which disturbed Chelsea’s rhythm, but the push for a second goal never ceased. With a long-range shot, Joao Pedro nearly came close; Pedro Neto put the keeper through a difficult left-footed drive.
The breakthrough came at last. Gensis Antwi burst the right and squared for Joao Pedro, who managed and buried a shot into the bottom corner to seal victory.
Having just raised a trophy in the United States, Reece James raised yet another as Chelsea closed the evening with smiles and momentum.
The Club World Cup champions will next play AC Milan on Sunday in their last pre-season encounter at Stamford Bridge as part of the VisitMalta Weekender.
Toosin is a dedicated sports writer with a strong background in crafting engaging and insightful content. With experience at Goal, he has developed a sharp editorial sense and a refined storytelling approach that brings depth and perspective to sports journalism. His passion for the game goes beyond the headlines, as he captures both the excitement of the sport and the compelling human narratives behind each event. Toosin’s work resonates with a broad and diverse audience, making global sports stories accessible, relatable, and impactful.
