Chelsea host Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge on Friday as part of their compressed preparations for the 2025/26 Premier League season.
It’s the first time Enzo Maresca’s team will take to the field since their FIFA Club World Cup triumph, with the action in England’s top flight beginning next weekend.
This is the first of two games in three days for the Blues, who will host AC Milan on Sunday.
Leverkusen are playing under new head coach and former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, having absorbed the key departures of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah and Granit Xhaka this summer.
Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen score
| Score | Goalscorers | |
| Chelsea | 1 | Estevao 18′ |
| Leverkusen | 0 | _ |
Starting lineups:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1, right to left): 12. Filip Jorgensen (GK) — 27. Malo Gusto, 23. Trevoh Chalobah, 34. Josh Acheampong, 3. Marc Cucurella — 25. Moises Caicedo, 17. Andrey Santos — 41. Estevao, 10. Cole Palmer, 32. Tyrique George — 9. Liam Delap
Bayer Leverkusen (3-4-2-1, right to left): 26. Mark Flekken (GK) — 12. Edmond Tapsoba, 4. Jarell Quansah, 3. Piero Hincapie — 23. Nathan Tella, 24. Aleix Garcia, 8. Robert Andrich, 20. Alex Grimaldo — 30. Ibrahim Maza, 21. Amine Adli— 14. Patrik Schick
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Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen goals, highlights
56 mins: Wretched error from Achempong, who treads on the ball and falls over (heartening, in a way, when the pros do that). He’s bailed out by his centre-back partner Tosin Adarabioyo, who makes a fine block to thwart Schick.
Halftime
Chelsea good value for their lead at the break, with the exciting Estevao living up to his billing.
42 mins: Estevao fancies a second and forces a fine reaction stop from Flekken just a few moments after Leverkusen’s dead-ball specialist Grimaldo went close from a 25-yard free-kick.
18 mins: Chelsea get the breakthrough and it’s a debut goal at Stamford Bridge for Estevao. Cucurella drives a low ball into the box for Palmer, who directs a bouncing ball against the crossbar and the Brazilian teenager snaffles the rebound. Chelsea 1-0 Leverkusen.
Estêvão scores his first goal for Chelsea! 🔵🔥
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7 mins: Some effort to get yourself a yellow card inside the first 10 minutes of a friendly. So, a dubious tip of the cap to Andrich, who lunges in on Santos to earn a caution. Chelsea 0-0 Leverkusen.
Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen lineups, expected starting 11, team news, injuries
New arrivals Willian Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Jorrel Hato are all set to make their first appearances in Chelsea colours. Joao Pedro and Liam Delap will also step out at Stamford Bridge for the first time following their Club World Cup exploits.
Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Enzo Fernandez all left the United States with injury complaints and only thr latter two have made the bench. Wesley Fofana remains sidelined with his long-term hamstring problem.
Fofana has been joined in the treatment room by Levi Colwill, who suffered an ACL injury in his first injury in his first training session back after the Club World Cup and will miss the majority of this season as a result.
Chelsea lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Jorgensen (GK) — Gusto, Chalobah, Acheampong, Cucurella — Caicedo, Santos — Estevao, Palmer, George — Delap
Injured: Colwill (ACL), Badiashile, Lavia, Fofana (hamstring)
Mark Flekken and Jarell Quansah will be familiar faces to Chelsea fans, having arrived in Leverkusen from Brentford and Liverpool respectively this summer.
Alongside Quansah, USMNT attacker Malik Tillman is Ten Hag’s biggest close-season signing at €35 million. However, Tillman is out after suffering a stress injury during training.
Patrik Schick has committed his future to the club by signing a new contract until 2030 and has shared striker duties with Victor Boniface so far during preseason.
Bayer Leverkusen lineup (3-4-2-1, right to left): Flekken (GK) — Tapsoba, Quansah, Hincapie — Tella, Garcia, Andrich, Grimaldo — Maza, Adli— Boniface
Injured: Tillman (leg/foot)
Chelsea vs. Bayer Leverkusen live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this preseason friendly match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
