August 11, (THEWILL) – Chelsea concluded their pre-season preparations for the 2024/2025 English Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge. The match saw late drama with Lesley Ugochukwu equalising for the Blues in the 90th minute, cancelling out Marcus Thuram’s first-half opener for the Serie A champions.
Despite Chelsea’s early dominance, it was Inter who took the lead in the 26th minute. Joaquin Correa found Thuram, who finished clinically into the roof of the net. Chelsea’s nine first-half shots failed to trouble Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, leaving the visitors ahead at half-time.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made changes at the interval, introducing Cole Palmer, who was returning from Euro 2024 duty with England. The Blues ramped up the pressure in the second half, with Levi Colwill hitting the post and Christopher Nkunku forcing a save from Sommer with an acrobatic effort.
The home side’s persistence paid off in the final moments of the match. Palmer’s free-kick found its way to substitute Ugochukwu, who fired home to level the score. The late equaliser ensured Chelsea ended their pre-season on a positive note ahead of their EPL opener.
With the new season just around the corner, both teams will take positives from this competitive friendly. Chelsea showed resilience to fight back for a draw, while Inter demonstrated their ability to compete against top Premier League opposition.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
