Three-in-a-row for Chelsea
2008-07-29 17:23
Kuala Lumpur - Nicolas Anelka and Ashley Cole scored as Chelsea rounded off their Asian tour with 2-0 win over a Malaysian XI on Tuesday, continuing their bright start under new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
After romping past Chengdu Blades 7-0 on Saturday and thrashing Guangzhou Pharmaceutical last week, Chelsea have now bagged 13 goals without conceding as they head to Moscow for the Railways Cup.
But the London side were slow starting on a humid night at Shah Alam Stadium and almost went behind after two minutes when Mohammed Amirulhadi Bin Zainal outfoxed John Terry to break free down the right.
He unleashed a low shot that beat Petr Cech and grazed the left-hand post.
The Malaysians were the toughest opposition the Blues have faced on their pre-season tour but once they settled it was almost exclusively Chelsea.
New signing Deco had a great chance after 14 minutes when he met a Frank Lampard corner with a sublime volley from 25 yards that goalkeeper Helmi Eliza Elias did well to stop.
Anelka opened scoring
The keeper kept them in the match again a minute later, saving a close range effort from Anelka with Shaun Wright-Philips skying the rebound over the bar.
Michael Essien went close midway through the half when he turned inside a defender and smacked a left foot drive straight at Elias as Chelsea turned on the style.
Anelka finally opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he was fed through on the left by Joe Cole and slotted home past the diving Elias.
Malaysia's dangerman Bin Zianal went close again seven minutes before the break when his long range right-foot strike again beat Cech but missed the target.
Scolari made seven substitutions as his side flagged in the heat and Ashley Cole wasted no time making his mark, getting on the scoresheet after 53 minutes when he tapped in from close range as the opposition appealed for offside.
Essien should have made it 3-0 with 16 minutes left but once again the Malaysian goalkeeper kept his team's faint hopes alive.
Chelsea open their Premier League season on August 17 against Portsmouth.
- AFP