Chelsea and Johor Darul Ta’zim lined up before the game. CREDIT: chelseafc | web
Chelsea were held to a 3-3 draw by Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim in a pre-season friendly at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sunday.
Johor took the lead in the 14th minute through Arif Aiman, who finished from close range after the hosts broke forward.
Chelsea drew level five minutes before half-time when Liam Delap won and converted a penalty, sending his effort into the bottom corner.
The England striker put Chelsea ahead again in the 62nd minute, repeating the feat from the spot after Jamie Gittens was brought down in the box.
Johor responded three minutes later when Oscar Arribas’ free-kick took a deflection off Delap and wrong-footed goalkeeper Gaga Slonina before finding the net.
The Malaysian champions regained the lead in the 86th minute through Brazilian forward Bergson, who found the corner with a 20-yard effort.
Chelsea, however, secured a draw three minutes later when Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross struck Cristian Glauder and went into the net.
The match was played with an edge, with seven yellow cards shown during the encounter.
A planned penalty shootout was called off after the match, with the reason for the cancellation not immediately known.
Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, fielded an entirely new starting XI after the Blues played AC Milan 24 hours earlier, while Mamadou Sarr was replaced before kick-off.
Chelsea will return to England ahead of their final pre-season fixture against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, August 15.
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
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