LONDON: Jose Mourinho made a winning return to Stamford Bridge as Chelsea beat promoted Hull City 2-0 in the Premier League on Sunday after an early Frank Lampard penalty miss.
Brazil’s Oscar put Chelsea ahead on 13 minutes, slotting home low past goalkeeper Allan McGregor from Kevin de Bruyne’s though-ball into the box.
Lampard, who had his sixth-minute penalty and also a 15th-minute shot saved by McGregor, eventually got on the scoresheet with a free kick that dipped in under the keeper’s bar for a 2-0 lead in the 25th.
The newly installed goalline technology passed its first test when McGregor saved a header from Branislav Ivanovic on his line in first-half stoppage time and replays confirmed the keeper had clawed the ball out before it had fully crossed over.
Earlier, in the only other EPL match of the day, Spain striker Roberto Soldado’s penalty on his Premier League debut gave Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in their opening match of the season.
Spurs, who were not awarded a single penalty last season, were given the spot kick early in the second half for an unfortunate handball by Palace defender Dean Moxey as he tried to block a dangerous Aaron Lennon cross.
Soldado, a signing from Valencia, then coolly slotted his effort inside Julian Speroni’s right hand post with the keeper going the other way.
“Roberto’s a real out and out striker. He’s not been here a lot because of the Confederations Cup but he’ll get fitter and sharper and will be even better,” Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas told reporters.
Argentine Speroni was the busier keeper helping to keep Spurs at bay especially with a brilliant leap to tip over a shot from midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in the first half.
Tottenham, without injured forward Gareth Bale who scored 21 league goals last season and has been a transfer target of Real Madrid’s for most of the off-season, were guilty of missing more chances that could have settled the match long before the end.
In a nerve-wracking final few minutes Spurs were indebted to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for a double save from Kagisho Dikgacoi.
Nacer Chadli, another of Spurs’ new signings, headed over the bar from close range in first half added time and Sigurdsson’s low shot in the 69th was out of the diving Speroni’s reach but also just wide of the far post.
Spurs substitute Jermain Defoe also shot wide of the same post in the 88th after a jinking run through the Palace defence.
Manchester City host Newcastle United on Monday at 7:00pm GMT (12:30am IST).
Dortmund win 2-1 in Budesliga
Meanwhile, in Bundesliga action, Borussia Dortmund defeated Eintracht Braunschweig 2-1.
The first goal of the match only came in the 75th minute when Jonas Hoffman put Dortmund, last season’s Champions League runners-up, ahead.
Marco Reus added another in the 86th minute before Robert Lewandowski, playing his 100th Bundesliga match, scored an own goal from a corner for the visitors. (Reuters)