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Red Bull Salzburg
Pre-season Friendlies
Jul 31, 2019 at 7pm UK
 
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3-5

Onguene (50'), Minamino (85' pen., 92')
FT(HT: 0-3)
Pulisic (20', 28'), Barkley (23' pen.), Pedro (57'), Batshuayi (88')

Christian Pulisic stars as Chelsea beat Red Bull Salzburg in eight-goal thriller

Christian Pulisic and Ross Barkley star as Chelsea register a 5-3 victory over Red Bull Salzburg in Wednesday's pre-season friendly in Austria.

Chelsea have recorded a 5-3 victory over Red Bull Salzburg in a thrilling pre-season friendly on Wednesday night.

Christian Pulisic and Ross Barkley were the stars of the show in Austria, with the former contributing two goals in eight first-half minutes and the latter providing two fine assists, as well as netting from the spot.

Pedro - courtesy of a delightful back-heel volley - and Michy Batshuayi also scored for the Premier League side, while Jerome Onguene and Takumi Minamino got on the scoresheet for Salzburg.

Having begun their domestic campaign at the weekend, Salzburg looked the sharper of the two sides during the early stages as Majeed Ashimeru and Hwang Hee-chan both went close to finding an opening goal.

Chelsea remained second best as the game progressed towards the 20-minute mark, but a stunning spell from Pulisic led to the Blues quickly establishing a three-goal advantage.

The USA international's first contribution came after collecting a pass from Pedro around 30 yards out, before a direct run towards the edge of the area ended with a low shot finding the bottom corner of Cican Stankovic's net.

Christian Pulisic celebrates scoring for Chelsea against Red Bull Salzburg on July 31, 2019.© Reuters

Two minutes later, Pulisic was hauled down by Rasmus Nissen Kristensen inside the box, leaving Barkley to step up and fire the ball to Stankovic's right.

The England international soon turned provider with a long raking pass finding the run of Pulisic, who expertly controlled the ball before flicking a shot over the advancing Stankovic and into the net.

Chelsea created further opportunities with Mateo Kovacic and Emerson Palmieri both having long-range efforts kept out by Stankovic, who was doing his best to keep the scoreline respectable.

Salzburg ended the first half on top, however, with Kepa Arrizabalaga needing to fling himself to his left in order to prevent Dominik Szoboszlai's 30-yard set piece from finding the corner.

Frank Lampard opted against making alterations at the break, while his counterpart Jesse Marsch did the opposite as he began to think about his side's league game at the weekend.

Frank Lampard on the touchline during Chelsea's friendly with Red Bull Salzburg on July 31, 2019.© Reuters

That proved beneficial for the home side as they quickly reduced the deficit, with Onguene getting the better of Kurt Zouma to power a header past Arrizabalaga from eight yards.

However, while Salzburg remained largely in the ascendancy, Chelsea reopened their three-goal cushion in some style through Pedro, who sent a back-heel volley over the goalkeeper from 10 yards after meeting Barkley's inswinging cross.

Salzburg should have perhaps continued the goalfest shortly after the hour mark when Patson Daka seemed perfectly placed to convert from close range, only for Zouma to get back to clear off the line.

As a result of a number of Chelsea alterations and Salzburg contemplating their second outing in Austria's top flight, the game had appeared set for a quiet conclusion.

However, that changed when Davide Zappacosta conceded a penalty, giving Minamino the chance to fire the ball into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Chelsea added a fifth moments later as Michy Batshuayi's perseverance inside the area was rewarded with a goal, which came when the Belgian drilled a powerful shot inside the near post from 10 yards.

The scoring continued in the second minute of added-on time as Minamino bundled the ball home from close range, with his initial attempt being saved by Arrizabalaga and rebounding off his leg.

Conceding three goals in such circumstances - three days after doing the same against Reading - will frustrate Lampard, but there are enough positives to take ahead of Chelsea's concluding friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday afternoon.

RED BULL SALZBURG (4-4-2): Stankovic (kohn 46'); Kristensen (Farkas 46'), Pongracic (Onguene 46'), Mwepu (Van der Werff 46'), Ulmer (Mensah 46'); Ashimeru (Junuzovic 46'), Samassekou (Okugawa 46', Minamino 75'), Camara (Diarra 46'), Szoboszlai (Bernede 46'); Hwang (Koita 46'), Haaland (Daka 46')

CHELSEA (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta (Zappacosta 82'), Zouma, Luiz (Tomori 74'), Palmieri (Alonso 75'); Kovacic (Christensen 81'), Jorginho (Kenedy 74'), Barkley; Pedro, Abraham (Batshuayi 75'), Pulisic (Mount 74')

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