Luis Enrique's side looked to have sealed a win with
two second half goals after Eden Hazard's solo strike, but Gary Cahill's
header forced the game to penalties
Thibaut Courtois sealed a penalty shoot-out victory for Chelsea over Barcelona in the International Champions Cup.
Barcelona
looked to be heading for a victory after Luis Suarez and Sandro
cancelled out Eden Hazard's sublime opener during the second half.
But
Gary Cahill headed in from close range in the closing stages - and
picked up a bloody nose in the process - to force the game to a
penalties.
Alen Halilovic chipped his spot kick against the bar and Courtois saved from Pique as Loic Remy scored the winning penalty.
Chelsea
were virtually at full strength, with Hazard, Courtois, Diego Costa,
Cesc Fabregas, Oscar, Nemanja Matic, Branislav Ivanovic, Cahill and
Cesar Azpilicueta all starting.
Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio
Busquets and Jeremy Mathieu were included in Barcelona's starting XI,
while Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Jordi Alba and Pedro were among the
substitutes.
Chelsea stormed out of the blocks on the front foot,
and centre-back Kurt Zouma almost headed the Premier League champions
into a third-minute lead.
Mourinho's men got the goal they deserved seven minutes later thanks to
Hazard, who skipped past four Barca players before he coolly slotted the ball underneath Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The
match ebbed and flowed as Barca slowly found their rhythm, but only the
woodwork prevented Chelsea from making it 2-0 as Barca's back four
struggled to contain the likes of Hazard and Costa.
Oscar's free-kick struck the crossbar in the 26th minute, with Ter Stegen rooted to his line.
Suarez
- lively throughout the first half - thought he had equalised in the
31st minute but the Uruguay international was denied again by Courtois,
who dived down quickly to his right.
Chelsea were a constant
threat on the break and Costa wasted a golden opportunity to double the
lead moments later after beating the offside trap and out-running his
opponents, but the Brazilian sliced his effort just wide of the post.
Suarez
engineered an opening for Rakitic to restore parity before the
interval, however the Croatian midfielder skied his shot over the bar
from just outside the six-yard box.
However,
Suarez
got the goal he deserved six minutes into the second half, scooping the
ball over Courtois, despite Zouma's best efforts on the line.
Barca dominated from that point and went in front courtesy of
Sandro in the 66th minute. The La Masia graduate drifted onto his right foot and curled the ball beyond Courtois.
With
time running out in Landover, Cahill courageously headed over
substitute keeper Jordi Matip in the 86th minute, picking up a bloody
nose in the process.
The goal forced the game to penalties, and
after Halilovic hit the bar, Courtois saved from Pique, leaving Remy to
calmly seal the win for Jose Mourinho's side.
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