Chelsea had to settle for a penalty shootout victory against Inter Milan after Pedro's early goal was cancelled out by Roberto Gagliardini's second-half strike in Saturday's 1-1 draw in Nice.
Cesar Azpilicueta, making his first appearance since returning from the World Cup, scored the winning penalty after Milan Skriniar missed from the spot, with penalty specialist Willy Caballero saving from the Slovakian.
Arguably, Chelsea should have had the game wrapped up in the first half. Maurizio Sarri's men were fully in control and deservedly went in front early on when Pedro, who was celebrating his 31st birthday, opened the scoring after eight minutes.
The Spaniard was alert in the area after Samir Handanovic palmed Alvaro Morata's speculative effort into his path and the winger finished coolly with the aid of a deflection. It was an excellent showing overall from the former Barcelona man, who certainly proved that he can replace Willian if the Brazilian leaves the club before the transfer deadline.
Alvaro Morata looked a lot sharper and led the line brilliantly, and was only denied a goal by the offside flag after heading past Handanovic. Callum Hudson-Odoi also showed signs that he will be a valuable asset to Chelsea this season with some sublime dribbles and footwork.
Inter struggled in the first half and certainly deserved Luciano Spalletti's hairdryer treatment at half-time. It sprung life into the Italian side, however, and just four minutes into the second half they were level.
An error from Tiemoue Bakayoko, on as a half-time substitute, allowed Mauro Icardi to play in Gagliardini, and the midfielder's powerful strike clipped Caballero before bouncing into the bottom corner.
The combination of multiple substitutions and soaring temperatures meant that the tempo was slower in the second half, although Tammy Abraham missed a golden chance to win it late on for the Blues.
