Pedro Neto opened the scoring as Chelsea secured a comfortable 2-0 victory against Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup group stage opener.
The Portuguese winger found the net in the 34th minute, giving Enzo Maresca's squad a well-deserved lead after dominating the early exchanges. The "Blues" continued to control proceedings throughout the match at Stamford Bridge.
"We started strong and maintained our intensity throughout both halves," a satisfied Maresca might have reflected after watching his tactical setup work to perfection.
The advantage was eventually doubled in the 79th minute when Enzo Fernandez, who came on as a substitute at halftime replacing Laviá, secured the result with Chelsea's second goal of the evening.
Interestingly, both managers made significant changes throughout the match. Maresca's Chelsea saw six substitutions, including captain Reece James being replaced by Gusto at the break. Meanwhile, Hugo Lloris, the former Tottenham goalkeeper, couldn't keep a clean sheet for the MLS side despite his Premier League experience.
The match wasn't without discipline issues - three "Blues" players received yellow cards (James, Adarabioyo, and Cucurella), while Los Angeles saw Martinez and Palencia enter the referee's book.
Both teams will be back in action on June 21, with Chelsea facing Brazilian side Flamengo and Los Angeles FC taking on Esperance. Can Maresca's men maintain their perfect start in the tournament?
