Chelsea recorded their first victory under new manager Antonio Conte following a 3-0 win over WAC RZ Pellets in Klagenfurt.
Goals by Bertrand Traore and substitutes Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Chalobah secured the victory for the Blues, according to the Chelsea website.
The Italian manager handed new signing Michy Batshuayi his pre-season debut in a Chelsea shirt while providing the majority of his squad valuable game time.
Conte made three changes to the Blues side that suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Rapid Vienna, one of which saw Ola Aina come in for Baba Rahman at left-back. Oscar and Traore were also handed their first starts of pre-season, with John Mikel Obi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek making way.
In the opening minutes of the match, Willian and Victor Moses sent decent crosses into the box to cause panic in the WAC defence as the Blues started the game off brightly, while Diego Costa was unlucky not to connect with Branislav Ivanovic’s inviting cross.
The Blues should have taken the lead in the 13th as Willians penetrating run ended with the Brazilian laying the ball off to Moses, who controlled the ball well with his first touch before blazing his shot against the foot of the post.
A minute later and Moses turned provider as he pulled the ball back for Traore who collects his pass and fired it over the bar from a great position.
Chelsea were dominant in possession of the ball but WAC came close to opening the scoring as Thomas Zundel fired his shot from distance past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic’s right-hand post.
Papy Djilobodji had a chance to put the Blues on the front foot as he directed his headed effort straight into the hands of WAC ‘keeper Kofler Alexander from a Willian corner.
At the other end, Begovic was on hand to deny Wernitzning Christopher’s curling free-kick.
The deadlock was finally broken as Traore guided Willians cross into the back of the net to make it 1-0, four minutes before half-time.
A second goal almost followed immediately but the WAC shot-stopper did well to tip Diego Costa’s low drive around the post following good work by Willian.
Moments later Costa was nearly put clean through on goal by Matic, only for the touch of a defender to take the Serbian’s pass away from him.
WAC hadn’t had many clear-cut chances but had a glorious opportunity when Baldauf Dario stole the ball in at the far post unmarked as his headed effort hit into the side netting.
Substitute Loftus-Cheek dispossessing a WAC defender and to release Batshuayi, who showed great pace to get away from his man before his subsequent strike was deflected over the bar.
Once again Willian put Batshuayi through on goal with a clever pass and after rounding Alexander to teed up Moses, whose effort was diverted away to safety by 17-year-old Augustin.
The second goal came six minutes from time as Loftus-Cheek powered a header into the back of the net from a Moses corner, while Chalobah completed the scoring with the last action of the game, driving into the box and blazing a low efforthard into the far corner.
Image: Chelsea website
