Match Analysis: Chelsea 0-1 Fiorentina

Chelsea finished their pre-season schedule with a 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina in the International Champions Cup at Stamford Bridge this evening.

Defender Gonzalo Rodriguez scored the only goal of the first half, tapping in from close range.

The result means that the Premier League champions head into their first fixture of the new league campaign without a win in 90 minutes during pre-season.

Here, Sports Mole analyses the meeting between the two sides.

Match statistics

CHELSEA Shots: 12 On target: 2 Possession: 53% Corners: 6 Fouls: 12

FIORENTINA Shots: 10 On target: 5 Possession: 47% Corners: 6 Fouls: 20

Was the result fair?

Fiorentina were thoroughly deserving of their first-half lead, but Chelsea fought back well in the second half to put the Serie A side under pressure in the final 30 minutes. While the Italians defended well, and some poor finishing from the hosts let them off the hook, Chelsea probably did enough to earn a draw, which would have seen the match decided on penalties.

Chelsea's performance

Jose Mourinho obviously picked his side with the weekend in mind, keeping several of his first-team regulars on the bench for the first half. His young defenders were too easily stretched in the opening 45 minutes though, allowing Fiorentina to exploit the space in the box. They tightened up in the second half, but did not put the Seria A club under pressure enough times, and only tested the shaky-looking Luigi Sepe twice. They just were not clinical enough in Fiorentina's half.

Fiorentina's performance

The visitors made an excellent start to the match, testing Begovic less than two minutes into the tie. Fiorentina kept the Chelsea keeper busy in the first half before Rodriguez eventually forced the ball over, but did not threaten as much in the second half. Their defending was excellent throughout though, ensuring that a young and inexperienced keeper had a quiet night between the posts. Having made so many changes to the side that beat Barcelona, Fiorentina look well prepared for the start of the season.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Matias Fernandez: There are a number of Fiorentina players who would be deserving of this honour for their first-half efforts, but it was striker Matias Fernandez who stood out. The forward set the tone by rifling the ball towards Begovic just over a minute into the tie, and created several more chances before half time, including starting the move that resulted in the goal.

Biggest gaffe

Ruben Loftus-Cheek had a chance to put Chelsea ahead inside the opening 10 minutes when he rose high to meet a free kick into the box. The midfielder had striker Radamel Falcao next to him and John Terry in space just behind the Colombian, but he went for glory himself, blasting the ball well high of the target, much to the annoyance of the club's captain who is usually clinical from that range.

Referee performance

Football League referee David Coote had the honour of officiating this evening's proceedings, and he had a decent night. The players gave him plenty to do, with some rather physical challenges flying in from both sides. In a competitive match, Kurt Zouma might have seen red for his late challenge on Ricardo Bagadur, but as it was only a friendly the referee probably did the right thing by just booking him. He let the game flow nicely, but was not afraid to reach for the whistle when either side tried to take advantage.

What next?

Chelsea: Chelsea have just three days before they begin the defence of their Premier League title with a visit from the ever-resilient Swansea City.

Fiorentina: It is still a couple of weeks until the Serie A season gets underway. They host AC Milan on August 23.