Match Report: Chelsea easy winners against Indonesia All-Stars
Chelsea took on the BNI Indonesia All-Stars in their first ever match on Indonesian soil and Demba Ba was given a chance to stake his claim to lead the line for the Blues this season, with the team lined up in a classic Mourinho 4-3-3 formation.
Chelsea dominated the early exchanges of the game, with Eden Hazard converting a well-won penalty by John Terry to make it 1-0 after 20 minutes. Hazard coolly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner after sending the keeper the wrong way, with the All-Stars number 23 guilty of a desperate lunge on Terry.
After that, the floodgates opened as the All-Stars goal was peppered with shots from nearly every outfield Chelsea player, but it was Ramires that finally added the second after Chelsea hit the post twice through Chalobah and Wallace.
Ramires thumped his effort into the roof of the net after a smart turn in the box, leaving the keeper with no chance and the All-Stars 2-0 down after 29 minutes.
It took just two more minutes for Chelsea to effectively kill the tie, as Demba Ba latched onto Ramires' deflected shot to make it 3-0, as Chelsea started to turn on the style.
Chelsea eased off the pressure after that, with Hazard attempting to embarrass then keeper rather than finish the chance off in the 37th, but the keeper made amends by snatching the ball back off his toe.
They still managed to snatch a forth, as Gary Cahill and Terry combined to head home a forth just before the whistle went for half time.
Chelsea made several substitutions after half time as they attempt to get the squad match fit, but it was still hardly a second-string side with new signing Mark Schwarzer making an assured appearance between the sticks, despite the lack of quality chances for the opposition.
Chelsea's fifth was a sublime effort from Bertrand Traore in the 51st minute, his effort curled into the top corner leaving the keeper flat-footed. Lukaku replaced Ba to lead the line at half time and the promising striker added a sixth just 40 seconds after Traore with a glancing header across goal.
The chances just kept on coming, Ramires smashed in a seventh after 56 minutes which underlined Chelsea's dominance of the game and marked a good showing by the Brazilian.
There was a ten minute lull as more substitutions settled in for the Blues, but normal business soon resumed as Lucas Piazon set up Lukaku to finish his second of the game with a placed finish in the 66th minute.
There was some respite for the All Stars, as they scored a consolation goal three minutes after, but even then a Chelsea player scored, Tomas Kalas unfortunate to slot the ball into his own net after some good work down the wings by the All-Stars.
In the end, Chelsea could have scored many more, but eight was enough on the night. They will be disappointed to have conceded but it was still a very good win.
It was great to see Essien and Terry looking assured in the Chelsea line-up and the players duly delivered on the easy win that most expected. There will undoubtedly be harder tests during their pre-season such as the game against Inter Milan, but you can only beat the team in front of you and today they did that easily.
Younger players like Wallace and Traore have really impressed so far and it'd great to see them given a chance in the league, but with competition at the top so tight, it would be a massive leap of faith for Mourinho.
Final Score (8-1)
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