Chelsea edged out Villarreal on penalties, after the two teams couldn’t be separated in extra-time. Hakim Ziyech put the Blues ahead just before the half-hour mark in a dominant first half. It looked like Chelsea are headed for another trademark Thomas Tuchel 1-0 victory, but last season’s top scorer Gerard Moreno equalized following a concerted spell of pressure for the Yellow Submarines.
Just as the match was heading for penalties, Tuchel took a gambit by replacing Edouard Mendy with Kepa Arrizabalaga. The gamble paid off as the Spaniard saved two penalties to seal a dramatic win for Chelsea. After three successive Super Cup defeats, the last two of which were on penalties, this win must have felt extra special for Tuchel and co.
Team News
Chelsea
Tuchel made six changes from the team that defeated Man City in May. Academy star Trevoh Chalobah has been a fixture in the pre-season and continued his run of games. Kurt Zouma, who is linked with a move to West Ham United, also started. There were starts for Marcos Alonso, Mateo Kovacic and Callum Hudson-Odoi too.
Starting XI: Mendy; Chalobah, Zouma, Rudiger; Hudson-Odoi, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Werner, Havertz
Subs: Kepa, Christensen, Jorginho, Silva, Abraham, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Chilwell, James, Azpilicueta, Emerson
Villarreal
Starting XI: Assenjo; Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Pedraza; Pino, Trigueros, Capoue, A. Moreno; G. Moreno, Dia
Subs: Rulli, Gaspar, Morlanes, Alcacer, Iborra, Estupinan, Cuenca, Raba, Pena, Mandi, Gomez, Nino
Chelsea make the early running
Much as would have been expected, the Champions League winners assumed control of the proceedings. Timo Werner was the first to test Sergio Assenjo in goal from an early corner. The Blues were dominating possession when the breakthrough occurred. An enterprising run by Kai Havertz was matched by Alonso’s through ball. The German then cut it back into the box and found Ziyech, whose scuffed shot was enough to beat Assenjo.
Villarreal sprung into life immediately following the concession, and Dia forced a save from Mendy. At the other end, Alonso almost doubled the lead after some neat interplay down the left. Minutes before half time, Ziyech picks up a shoulder injury and is forced off. But just seconds before half time, Alberto Moreno’s thumping volley beats Mendy all ends up, but hits the crossbar instead of the net.
Second half
Villarreal had seized initiative since the opening goal, and that continued right from the start in the second half. A Mendy slip while taking a goal-kick eventually leads to Gerard one-on-one with the keeper, but his effort is tipped onto the post brilliantly. As Unai Emery’s men continued to exert pressure, Mendy was forced into action once again from Estupinan’s effort.
The pressure finally told as in the 73rd minute, following a neat exchange between Gerard and Dia, the former lifted the ball over Mendy to notch the equalizer.
Predictably, there wasn’t much goal-bound action in extra time as teams began to tire. Christian Pulisic had the best chance in the 99th minute but he poked a close-range effort wide of the post. It was Chelsea who enjoyed the lion share of possession without really troubling the Villarreal backline.
In penalties, Havertz missed the first penalty for Chelsea as a sense of Deja-vu crept in. But substitute keeper Kepa responded in kind to save Aissa Mandi’s penalty. Then in sudden death, after Antonio Rudiger made it 6-5, Kepa turned hero by saving Raul Albiol’s spot-kick to seal the deal for the Blues.
Up next
Chelsea host Crystal Palace in the opening weekend of the Premier League on Saturday.
Villarreal are also at home, to Granada as they too get their La Liga campaign underway on Monday.