Goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard hand Blues a 2-0 win against Hull
Jose Mourinho made a winning return as Chelsea manager with a 2-0 success at home to promoted Hull City in the club’s opening Premier League game yesterday.
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Back at Stamford Bridge after spells at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, Mourinho saw his side prevail through early goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard on a warm, sunny afternoon in west London.
The Europa League champions looked on course for a handsome win after scoring twice in the first 25 minutes, but they took their foot off the pedal thereafter, perhaps with a view to Wednesday’s visit of Aston Villa.
Mourinho picked Fernando Torres ahead of Romelu Lukaku up front, with captain John Terry selected at centre-back and returning loanee Kevin De Bruyne preferred to Juan Mata in attacking midfield.
Goalkeeper Allan McGregor was among five debutants for Hull and he was quickly involved, clumsily clattering Torres but then plunging to his right to repel Lampard’s subsequent penalty in the sixth minute.
It was a temporary reprieve, however, as seven minutes later Oscar put Chelsea ahead by poking the ball beneath McGregor from De Bruyne’s pass.
Goal-line tech tested
Lampard got on the score-sheet in the 25th minute with a dipping 30-yard free-kick that deceived McGregor, who had to save from Branislav Ivanovic in first-half injury time.
That opportunity yielu00a0ded the clearest demonstration of goal-line technology of the opening weekend, with Hawk-Eye replays proving that McGregor had clawed Ivanovic’s header away from right on the line.