World champions: Chelsea FC
Newly-crowned world champions Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge for their first of two pre-season friendlies today, hosting Bayer Leverkusen in west London. The Blues only returned for their summer training camp this week following a gruelling summer stint in the United States, where they beat the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica en route to winning the new-look Club World Cup.
What impact the busy summer and truncated pre-season will have on Chelsea’s Premier League campaign remains to be seen, though fans could be provided a sneak peek into Enzo Maresca’s plans in this friendly clash. Over £200million worth of new signings could be set to either make their debuts or appear in front of a home crowd for the first time, with the likes of Jamie Gittens, Estevao, and Jorrel Hato all among their number.
Expect heavy rotation, though, as the Blues will return to the Bridge in just 48 hours’ time for their second and final pre-season outing against AC Milan. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Sam Tabuteau at Stamford Bridge.
TV channel: The match will be shown on Channel 5, with coverage starting at 6.30pm BST ahead of a 7pm BST kick off.
Enzo Maresca has just 180 minutes of friendly action to get his squad back on song ahead of a new Premier League campaign. How will they fare on return to Stamford Bridge this evening?
Kick-off comes at 7pm. Follow along here for minute-by-minute updates, team news as soon as it drops, and insightful analysis from Sam Tabuteau at Stamford Bridge!