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Chelsea 3-3 JDT in Thrilling Friendly Draw

8/10/2026

Summary

Chelsea Draws

Chelsea drew 3-3 with Johor Darul Ta'zim at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on 9 August 2026.
Arif Aiman Hanapi scored in the 14th minute after a pass from Marcus Guilherme.
Liam Delap converted penalties in the 42nd and 62nd minutes to give Chelsea the lead.
Bergson Da Silva’s 86th-minute strike and Cristian Glauder’s 89th-minute own goal forced the draw, while JDT operates on an £11 million budget versus Chelsea’s multi-hundred-million-pound budget.

Summary

Alonso Rotates XI

Xabi Alonso fielded a new XI for the JDT match, replacing the side that beat AC Milan a day earlier, after defensive injuries forced Mamadou Sarr’s pre-kickoff withdrawal and Aaron Anselmino’s 29th-minute exit.
Twenty-one-year-old Dário Essugo captained the side while veteran Tosin Adarabioyo struggled with the high defensive line.
A heated exchange between set-piece coach Austin MacPhee and a JDT bench official coincided with forward trials for Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson.

History

Historical Context

Manchester United’s Asian excursions began in the mid-1990s and by July 2009 marked their seventh tour, playing Malaysia, South Korea and China after a cancelled Indonesia fixture. The 2025 Maybank Challenge Cup in Kuala Lumpur pitted United against an ASEAN All-Stars side, with proceeds supporting the Al-Sultan Abdullah Foundation. The club’s recent 15th-place finish in 2024-25 underscores the commercial drive behind such tours.

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Chelsea Draws

Chelsea drew 3-3 with Johor Darul Ta'zim at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on 9 August 2026.
Arif Aiman Hanapi scored in the 14th minute after a pass from Marcus Guilherme.
Liam Delap converted penalties in the 42nd and 62nd minutes to give Chelsea the lead.
Bergson Da Silva’s 86th-minute strike and Cristian Glauder’s 89th-minute own goal forced the draw, while JDT operates on an £11 million budget versus Chelsea’s multi-hundred-million-pound budget.

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