It was RB Leipzig who got off to a strong start, finding the opener through Robert Ramsak within the first minute of kick-off.

But Filipe Coelho's side responded well, with Omari Kellyman rounding the goalkeeper to equalise soon after.

After going into the break level, Kellyman, our summer signing from Aston Villa, secured his second goal of the evening by taking advantage of a defensive error, looping the ball into the back of the net from distance.

However, our momentum was disrupted when Kellyman received his second yellow card, meaning we played the rest of the match with 10 men.

Despite creating several opportunities, the visitors gained confidence and went on to score three additional goals and secure all three points in the process.

A quick start

It was our visitors who got this Premier League International Cup group stage fixture off to a lively start, scoring the opener within the first minute.

With aggressive pressing high up the pitch, Nuha Jatta managed to move the ball upfield and find Ramsak, who picked out the bottom corner as he entered the box.

But Chelsea reacted perfectly, scoring an equaliser only four minutes later. Kellyman sprinted down the pitch, applied instant pressure to the German keeper, stole the ball from him, and made a smart run into the box, finishing with a shot into the open net. We were back on level terms.

Growing confidence

Chelsea then enjoyed a great spell of link-up play when Reiss Russell-Denny dispossessed a Leipzig defender and made a looping pass to Zain Silcott-Duberry out on the wing. Though we couldn't force our way through Leipzig’s defence, it was a clear warning to the visitors.

We were growing in confidence and becoming more dangerous as we found our rhythm in this fast-paced clash.

Making our presence known

Another Chelsea goalscoring opportunity came when Kiano Dyer stole the ball from a defender and found Ronnie Stutter, who weaved his way upfield, taking on several defenders. He made an accurate cross to Silcott-Duberry, who drilled in a low strike that looked destined for the back of the net, but Jamie Schuldes blocked his shot.

Our captain for the evening, Travis Akomeah, showcased his strength by protecting the Chelsea backline. When Leon Koss smashed a long-range shot at goal, Akomeah was there to connect with a flickering header, removing any danger and asserting his authority.

We came agonisingly close to taking the lead again when Somto Boniface found Silcott-Duberry just outside the area. Silcott-Duberry made a direct pass to Stutter, who was waiting at the far post. However, Lionel Voufack managed to extend his leg and kick the ball out of play, denying Stutter a tap-in.

Applying pressure

Stutter continued to test Leipzig’s defence just before the half-hour mark, whipping in a stinging effort that flew past a group of Leipzig defenders. The visitors' keeper did well to punch the ball away from the goal.

Our momentum continued to grow, and chances kept coming, forcing the German side's defence to work extremely hard. Donnell McNeilly emerged as a clear threat when he sent in a powerful right-footed strike from close-range, only for his effort to miss the far post by inches.

Five minutes before the interval, Chelsea had another goal opportunity. Stutter picked up a loose pass from Dickes’ long clearance and squeezed the ball between two Leipzig defenders to find Kellyman, who was unmarked inside the area. However, the 18-year-old's strike drifted wide past the post.

Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, it was only a matter of time before our visitors fought back.

They did just that when Jatta found himself in a promising position just outside the box. But his shot hammered against the side of the post, rebounding out and denying him a goal and leaving the score 1-1 at the break.

After a successful first half, we scored a goal that stunned the supporters. Just seconds after the restart, Kellyman extended our lead by sprinting past a German defender and expertly looping the ball from long distance over the keeper who came off his line.

Bump in the road

However, our momentum was soon disrupted when Kellyman received his second yellow card of the game reducing us to 10 men. Despite the setback, Coelho’s side adapted well.

Substitute Jimmy-Jay Morgan made an immediate impact, receiving the ball from Boniface on the wing. He used his speed to beat a Leipzig defender and unleashed a low shot, but unfortunately, his effort only found the side netting.

Our visitors soon took advantage of our numerical disadvantage. Voufack delivered a dangerous cross into our box and in an attempt to intercept, Akomeah unintentionally tapped the ball past our keeper for 2-2.

Leipzig then capitalised on their momentum and managed to take the lead.

A Chelsea mix-up at the back during a goalmouth scramble saw a group of Leipzig players hovering around the back post. Although Chelsea keeper Lucas Bergstrom thought he had cleared the danger, the ball rebounded off Russell-Denny and into the net.

Just before Akomeah's fierce goal-line clearance from Noah Weissbach’s powerful strike, Weissbach had managed to score the visitors' fourth goal of the evening by picking out the top corner and beating Bergstrom.

Despite this setback, we remained resilient and continued to put in our best efforts. Morgan and Stutter combined well, with Morgan navigating his way up the pitch and finding an open space for Stutter to run into. Stutter fired a curling shot at goal, but it narrowly skimmed past the face of the goal.

For the rest of our group fixture, we kept pushing hard for a breakthrough. Despite our efforts, the score remained unchanged and RB Leipzig left with the three points.

What’s next

Chelsea will return to Premier League 2 action this weekend with an away match against Middlesbrough on Sunday afternoon, kicking off at 1pm.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Lucas Bergstrom; Richard Olise (Brodi Hughes 70), Travis Akomeah (c), Kaiden Wilson, Somto Boniface (Ishe Samuels-Smith 66); Kiano Dyer, Donnell McNeilly (Jimmy-Jay Morgan 46), Reiss Russell-Denny (Harrison Murray-Campbell 70); Ronnie Stutter, Omari Kellyman, Zain Silcott-Duberry (Ato Ampah 57)
Unused subs: Max Merrick, Hudson Sands
Scorers: Kellyman 5, 46
Booked: Dyer 29, Boniface 44, Kellyman 45+5
Sent off: Kellyman 48

RB Leipzig: Fernando Dickes, Leon Koss, Jonathan Norbye, Jamie Schuldes, Robert Ramsak (Cenny Neumann 72), Nuha Jatta (Laurin Schossler 80), Faik Sakar (Din Klapija 46), Lionel Voufack (Friedrich Heyer 88), Joyeux Masanka Bungi, Viggo Gebel (Amos Gerth 72), Noah Weissbach
Unused subs: Luca Tobias Janosch
Scorers: Ramsak 1, Akomeah (OG) 60, Russell-Denny (OG) 66, Weissbach 77
Booked: Gebel 41, Din Klapija 67