Brazilian duo Willian Estevão and João Pedro were on the scoresheet as Chelsea began their pre-season with a 2-0 victory in the Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen clash at Stamford Bridge.
Goals in each half sealed the win, with Estevão’s composed first-half finish marking his first in Blue since linking up with the squad this summer, while Pedro’s late strike put the game beyond doubt.
The match also offered Enzo Maresca a chance to experiment tactically, blending a back-three structure in possession with occasional midfield diamonds, as several new signings and academy talents impressed. Here is a detailed match report for both halves.
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: First Half Match Report
At the end of the first half Chelsea were leading 1-0 at Stamford Bridge after Willian Estevão’s 17th-minute strike, and the opening 45 minutes offered a clear snapshot of Enzo Maresca’s early tactical intentions and the questions surrounding his forward line.
On paper Maresca started with a 4-2-3-1, yet in possession the side regularly shifted into a back three: Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah were the nominal centre-backs, but Josh stayed centrally while Malo Gusto tucked in as the right centre-back and Chalobah operated on the left.
Moisés Caicedo and Andrey Santos formed the double pivot that primarily facilitated Chelsea’s build-up, although Maresca intermittently adopted a diamond in midfield, with Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella dropping deeper at times to help progression through the middle.
Chelsea dominated large spells of the half and created the clearer chances. Malo Gusto blasted a volley wide from a set-piece routine around the 10th minute and Caicedo followed with a probing effort a minute later, underlining how the double pivot was able to break lines.
Chalobah, however, received a booking in the 12th minute after being beaten and reacting poorly to the challenge, which briefly interrupted Chelsea’s momentum.
The goal arrived in the 17th minute and was quintessentially composed: Palmer’s clever chipped delivery from the right clipped the bar and bounced kindly into the path of debutant Estevão, who made no mistake from close range.
The Brazilian’s movement and direct running caused Leverkusen problems all half, and although his finishing was not always clean, his opportunism produced the decisive touch.
Liam Delap, tasked with leading the line in Jackson’s absence, almost added a second when he met a Marc Cucurella cross but was denied by an excellent stop from Leverkusen’s goalkeeper, and Gusto forced another decent save late in the half.
Meanwhile, Filip Jørgensen was required to be alert when Alejandro Grimaldo whipped a dangerous free-kick toward the bottom corner; the goalkeeper reacted sharply to push it away and preserve Chelsea’s lead.
Off the field, the absence of Nicolas Jackson, who was dropped from the squad amid strong transfer speculation and was reportedly exploring options away from the club, was notable, and Moisés Caicedo captained the side in the absence of Reece James and Enzo Fernández. Maresca handed debuts to Estevão and gave home debuts to Delap and Santos, signalling his willingness to experiment with personnel as well as shape.
Chelsea could easily have been more comfortable at the interval given their control for large periods, but they went into the break satisfied that Estevão’s bright debut gave them a lead to protect and that the early tactical tweaks, the in-possession back three and the occasional diamond, provided the balance Maresca wanted.
Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: Second Half Match report
Chelsea sealed a promising pre-season win at Stamford Bridge, following up Willian Estevão’s first-half strike with a late João Pedro goal that capped off a performance full of tactical experimentation from Enzo Maresca’s side.
The second half began with a flurry of changes: Tosin Adarabioyo, Jorrel Hato, Dário Essugo, and Pedro Neto all came on. Palmer was withdrawn, which meant Estevão shifted inside to operate as the No. 10, while Pedro Neto took up the right-wing role.
Tosin replaced Chalobah, prompting Josh Acheampong to move to left centre-back in possession, with Tosin occupying his natural position on the right of the back line.
Hato replaced Cucurella and was deployed at left-back despite Chelsea not having a natural left-footed centre-back in the squad. Acheampong therefore alternated between left-back and left centre-back responsibilities depending on Chelsea’s in-possession structure.
Leverkusen’s best early chance of the half came in the 56th minute when Acheampong slipped under pressure, allowing Patrik Schick to break forward.
The visitors worked the ball into a shooting position, but the effort was deflected comfortably into Jørgensen’s hands. Chelsea quickly reasserted control, with Estevão again proving the main creative spark, ghosting in at the far post but failing to keep his effort on target.
On the hour mark, Maresca made further substitutions, introducing Jamie Gittens for his debut alongside Reece James and João Pedro.
Delap, Gusto, and Tyrique George were withdrawn. Gittens immediately drew gasps from the crowd with a pacy run and skillful dribble down the right, capping it off with a shot that ultimately came to nothing. Minutes later, Estevão went close again after being found by Gittens, dragging his effort narrowly wide.
Chelsea’s control limited Leverkusen to speculative efforts, including a long-range attempt from Victor Boniface in the 87th minute, but the home side saved the final say for themselves.
In the 90th minute, João Pedro marked his first appearance at Stamford Bridge with a decisive strike — latching onto a loose ball, driving toward the edge of the box, and drilling a low effort into the far corner past Mark Flekken. It was a composed and clinical finish that reflected the Brazilian’s growing confidence following his Club World Cup form.
What’s Next?
Chelsea face AC Milan on Sunday in a quick turnaround at Stamford Bridge, before preparing for their August 17th Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.
