This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, Chelsea's Frank Lampard-led team secured a 2-1 win against Barcelona in a pre-season friendly in Japan.
Chelsea's Tammy Abraham opened the scoring with a neat first-half finish after rounding the goalkeeper, while substitute Ross Barkley curled in a second late on.
Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic struck in injury time with a powerful drive, but it was not enough to overturn the deficit.
The game saw £107m signing Antoine Griezmann make his debut for the Spanish giants, showing some good touches and linking up well with Ousmane Dembele.
However, Griezmann never really troubled Chelsea's Kepa in the goal, and the former Atletico Madrid striker's debut was marked by a lack of impact.
Chelsea's N'Golo Kante was absent from the squad due to a knee injury, with Lampard revealing that the 28-year-old France international had already returned home.
"He is OK," Lampard said. "It was a decision that I made because I felt that him being here, with the facilities and the moving and travel that we have been doing, it probably wasn’t the most beneficial for him."
Meanwhile, Lampard gave Christian Pulisic a first start for the Blues, and the 20-year-old American forward caught the eye with his pace and trickery.
Chelsea's young players, including Abraham and Mason Mount, also impressed in the game, with Mount linking up play well and showing he was not afraid to shoot against illustrious opposition.
Barcelona's coach Ernesto Valverde was impressed with Griezmann's contribution, saying, "He needs to get used to the team and how we play. But he proved himself as a dangerous player on the ball. He has a lot of ideas."
