Chelsea vs Inter August 1, 2013
Chelsea and Inter
Milan face off in the most intriguing matchup of the 2013 International
Champions Cup's opening round. The winner will advance to the semifinals stage
to battle against AC Milan, while the loser will go up against Valencia.
The Blues enter the tournament as one of the top contenders. The
club's depth, especially in the midfield, bodes well for a preseason
event. Managers will be hoping to work in a lot of different players and
they shouldn't suffer a major drop off, regardless of the lineup
choices.Inter are looking to bounce back after a frustrating campaign where they finished in the middle of the Serie A. A strong presence in this tournament would provide some much-needed confidence as they proceed to prepare for the new campaign.
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| Chelsea vs Inter August 1, 2013 |
Here's a look at all the important information for the Round 1 matchup, followed by a preview and a prediction for which club will move one step closer to the title.
Chelsea supporters have every reason to be excited about the upcoming season, even if other Premier League clubs are generating more hype. The Blues have done a nice job of building a championship-caliber squad for returning manager Jose Mourinho. Chelsea vs Indonesia provided them a nice experience in Asia tour.
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| Jose Mourinho |
The reason for optimism starts in the midfield. Starting with the trio of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar, the Blues have a tremendous combination of talent and depth. And dominating the middle of the pitch is a major step toward success.
That goes for the International Champions Cup, as well. Aside from the Los Angeles Galaxy from the MLS, none of the other clubs are in midseason form, so Chelsea can really take advantage of that by controlling matches in the midfield.
The biggest concern, especially in a preseason tournament that will likely feature plenty of wide-open play, is who will provide the finishing touch for the Blues. It's been a lingering concern in recent seasons, highlighted by the inconsistent production from Fernando Torres.
It puts pressure on the likes of Demba Ba, Andre Schuerrle and Romelu Lukaku to have a strong finish to the preseason. If even one of them can step up, Chelsea's attack will be very dangerous.
As for Inter Milan, the club is hoping for a better combination of luck when it comes to injuries and also better form. There were times last season when Inter still looked like a top club in Italy, but those stretches didn't last nearly long enough.
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| Inter Milan ICC 2013 |
Rodrigo Palacio provides the Nerazzurri with a stabilizing force atop the attack. The veteran Argentine international scored 22 goals across all competitions last season, showing no signs of slowing down in the process.
Matching Chelsea vs Inter in the midfield will be the tough challenge in the opener, though. Esteban Cambiasso is surrounded by a lot of talented young players who are still getting used to the high-profile nature of these type of matchups, even in preseason.
All told, this should be an exciting match that features a good number of chances at both ends of the pitch. Chelsea should hold a slight advantage overall and, since neither team has the home edge, the Blues should squeak past Inter.
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