Attilio Lombardo’s men showed good strength of character and enjoyed some encouraging spells of play, but a physical Chelsea side ultimately proved too much for the Blues.
The visitors started the brighter of the two sides and it took just eight minutes for them to make their mark courtesy of a beautifully worked Patrick Bamford goal.
This didn’t do much to dampen the spirit of the home side though who were straight back on the attack and could have levelled the score moments later, but Jose Pozo La Rosa’s drilled effort was just wide of the post.
A lively period of play followed with both keepers being called into action as the Blues settled into the game and began to look a lot more comfortable on the ball.
But this was not to last and Chelsea, who had looked very threatening on the counter-attack, doubled their lead just before the half hour mark – the impressive Islam Feruz making it 2-0 against the run of play.
The energetic 17-year-old almost bagged himself a brace a short time later when he got on the end of a well-placed pass, but his close range effort was just over the bar.
Again the Blues showed good strength and determination and had an opportunity to have their say just before half-time when they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Chelsea box. Abdul Razak’s shot though, was fired well over.
City came out fighting again after the break and managed to pull a goal back through 17-year-old Marco Lopes who slotted home after connecting with well-timed a pass across the box.
The young Portuguese starlet could have equalised for the Blues moments later, but his neatly struck effort just skimmed the post.
There’s no doubt that getting on the score sheet gave the Blues a good deal of confidence and they were very unlucky to concede and own goal when a Patrick Bamford cross was deflected into the City net.
Doubling their lead, the visitor’s tried to slow the game down in the last 15 minutes, but City showed once again that they weren’t prepared to give in.
They got some reward for this when Lopes’ deflected effort made it 3-2 and although the Blues kept the pressure up for the full 90 minutes, that’s how it was to end.
