Chelsea vs Inter Milan

Stamford Bridge forms the backdrop for a blockbuster pre-season friendly between Chelsea and Inter Milan.

Despite Chelsea’s uptick in form toward the end of 2023/24, the club sacked Mauricio Pochettino at the end of last season. New manager Enzo Maresca has experienced a torrid start to life in West London. Except for a 3-0 win against Mexican outfit Club America, the Blues have gone winless in their other four summer friendlies (D1, L3), conceding multiple goals on each occasion. Back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid and Manchester City in the build-up to this clash derailed Chelsea’s spirits as they look to bounce back in their first meeting with Inter since 2018. The Premier League giants needed penalties to beat their Serie A counterparts in a friendly six years ago, restoring balance in the last five editions of this fixture (W2, D1, L2).

Unlike Chelsea, Inter Milan enjoyed a superb 2023/24 campaign, lifting their 20th Scudetto with several games to spare while conquering the Supercoppa Italiana midway through the season. Despite a dominant title run, Simone Inzaghi’s men have refused to stay silent in the transfer window, capturing the likes of Mehdi Taremi and Piotr Zielinski on Bosman deals. Unfortunately, both players picked up injuries during Inter’s perfect three-game start to their pre-season campaign. The Italians have since gone winless in two consecutive summer friendlies, drawing 1-1 against second-tier Pisa before losing to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad. Worryingly for Inzaghi, his men conceded before halftime in both matches.