Chelsea concluded their pre-season tour of Asia and Australia on Sunday with a 3-3 draw away to Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim.
Chelsea End Asia and Australia Tour With Six-Goal Draw in Malaysia
Chelsea brought their pre-season tour of Asia and Australia to a close on Sunday with an entertaining 3-3 draw against Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim, just 24 hours after recording an impressive 3-0 victory over AC Milan. The demanding schedule inevitably led Xabi Alonso to make substantial changes to his starting line-up, providing opportunities for several players who had either featured less prominently against Milan or were being assessed ahead of the start of the competitive season. Among the most notable decisions was the selection of Dário Essugo as captain, while Geovany Quenda was also included from the start. Pedro Neto, who had been involved in the victory over Rúben Amorim's Milan side, was left out of the matchday squad altogether as Chelsea carefully managed the workload of a group that had been asked to play on consecutive days.
The circumstances made this a very different test from the Milan game. Against the Italian side, Chelsea had produced a controlled and convincing performance, but Johor Darul Ta'zim approached their meeting with much greater freedom and were willing to attack whenever opportunities appeared. The Malaysian champions were rewarded after only 14 minutes when Arif Aiman put them ahead, giving Chelsea an early problem to solve. With so many changes to the team, Alonso's side understandably required time to find their rhythm, but they gradually began to establish themselves in possession and increase the pressure as the first half developed. Their response eventually arrived shortly before the interval when Liam Delap found the net in the 42nd minute, sending the teams into half-time level and giving Chelsea a platform from which to improve after the break.
Liam Delap Scores Twice as Chelsea Turn the Game Around
Delap emerged as Chelsea's main attacking figure on the night and completed his brace during the second half. Having already equalised before the interval, the striker was given the opportunity to put Chelsea in front when Alonso's team were awarded a penalty in the 62nd minute. He converted from the spot to make it 2-1, completing the turnaround and appearing to put the Premier League side in control of the contest. For Delap, the 2 goals provided another valuable opportunity to demonstrate his finishing ability during pre-season, particularly at a point when Chelsea's coaching staff are assessing the different attacking options available before competitive football begins.
Any sense that Chelsea had finally taken control disappeared almost immediately. Johor Darul Ta'zim responded only 3 minutes after Delap's penalty, with Óscar Arribas scoring in the 65th minute to make it 2-2. The speed of the response highlighted the openness of the match and prevented Chelsea from settling into a more comfortable rhythm. Rather than becoming a game in which Alonso's side could manage possession and protect their advantage, the second half remained unpredictable, with the hosts continuing to believe they could exploit the spaces Chelsea left when pushing forward. For a pre-season fixture, the lack of control may ultimately prove useful to Alonso, who was able to see how a heavily rotated side reacted when repeatedly forced to recover from changing situations.
Johor Darul Ta'zim Push Chelsea Until the Final Minutes
The Malaysian champions continued to compete aggressively and eventually completed their own comeback late in the game. In the 86th minute, Bergson scored to put Johor Darul Ta'zim 3-2 ahead, leaving Chelsea facing the possibility of ending their tour with defeat. The hosts had already shown resilience by responding immediately after falling behind earlier in the half, and Bergson's goal appeared to provide them with a memorable victory against one of England's biggest clubs. Chelsea, however, managed to produce one final response. Three minutes later, Antonio Cristian turned the ball into his own net, making it 3-3 and ensuring Alonso's side avoided defeat in their final match before returning to Europe.
The late equaliser produced a fitting conclusion to a match that had repeatedly changed direction. Chelsea were behind, recovered to lead, conceded twice more and then found a way back into the game in the closing moments. Although the defensive side of the performance will give Alonso several points to analyse, the context is important. The manager had made numerous changes after another match only a day earlier, and the objective of the fixture was as much about managing minutes and assessing players as it was about securing a result. The 3 goals conceded will nevertheless provide useful material for the coaching staff, particularly when examining the team's organisation after losing possession and its ability to manage transitions against opponents willing to attack quickly.
Essugo and Quenda Given Important Opportunities
Dário Essugo's role as captain was one of the most striking elements of Chelsea's starting line-up. Giving him the armband in a senior pre-season fixture represented a significant responsibility and provided another indication of the trust being placed in him during the summer preparations. Alongside him, Geovany Quenda was also given a starting opportunity as Alonso continued to distribute minutes throughout the squad. With Chelsea having played Milan the previous day, rotation was unavoidable, but it also allowed the manager to observe combinations that may not normally feature together once the competitive season begins. Matches such as this can be particularly valuable for younger players because they offer extended minutes in a senior environment without the immediate pressure associated with Premier League points.
Pedro Neto's absence from the matchday squad was another consequence of the demanding schedule. Having featured against Milan, the Portuguese international was not involved against Johor Darul Ta'zim, allowing Chelsea to manage his workload rather than asking him to play again less than 24 hours later. That approach was reflected throughout the team and helps explain why Sunday's performance lacked some of the continuity seen in the 3-0 victory over Milan. Alonso was effectively working with a different side, and while Chelsea still possessed enough quality to create chances and score 3 times, the understanding between players was naturally less established.
Chelsea Return to London With One Final Test Before the Premier League
The draw brings Chelsea's tour of Asia and Australia to an end, with Alonso's squad scheduled to travel back to London later on Sunday. The tour has allowed the new coach to work extensively with his players, experiment with different line-ups and provide minutes to a large part of the squad ahead of a season in which expectations will again be high at Stamford Bridge. The contrast between the final 2 matches was particularly useful: Chelsea followed a comfortable 3-0 win against Milan with a chaotic 3-3 draw against Johor Darul Ta'zim, giving Alonso examples of both the team's potential when it controls a match and the problems that can emerge when that control disappears.
There will now be a short period for Chelsea to recover from the travelling before attention turns to their final pre-season fixture. Real Sociedad will visit Stamford Bridge on 15 August in what should provide Alonso with his last major opportunity to fine-tune the team before competitive action begins. By that stage, the manager is likely to move closer to the line-up he intends to use in the opening Premier League fixture, with tactical experimentation gradually giving way to preparation for the specific demands of the new campaign.
Chelsea's Premier League season begins at Stamford Bridge against Fulham on 24 August, giving Alonso a little more than a week between the Real Sociedad friendly and the first competitive match. The result in Malaysia will therefore be viewed primarily as another part of the preparation process rather than a significant setback. Delap's 2 goals, the minutes given to Essugo and Quenda and the experience of dealing with a difficult, open match all provided useful information for the coaching staff. At the same time, conceding 3 goals against Johor Darul Ta'zim offers a reminder that there are still defensive details to improve before the season begins. After a long tour covering Asia and Australia, Chelsea now return to London with one final friendly remaining and the Premier League increasingly close.
