This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
On July 23, 2019, Chelsea made a triumphant return to the pitch, defeating Barcelona 2-1 in an exhibition match held in Japan.
Chelsea's Tammy Abraham opened the scoring in the 34th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Barcelona's Sergio Busquets. Abraham pounced on the loose ball, stepping past goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and gently sending it into the net.
Four minutes later, Christian Pulisic showcased his speed and agility, infiltrating the Barca defense with a left footer that narrowly missed the target.
Barcelona's Carles Perez led the charge in the second half, but Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga made several superb saves to deny the visitors any chance of equalizing.
Despite Perez's best efforts, including a left toe kick finish that was just inches from the goal, Arrizabalaga remained steadfast, making crucial saves to keep Chelsea ahead.
Chelsea sealed the win with less than 10 minutes left, as Ross Barkley curled the ball into the net from a cross in front of the box. Substitute goalkeeper Neto got a touch on the ball, but was unable to block it.
Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic scored a consolation goal in injury time, firing a lightning right footer deep into the net.
