Chelsea Cruise Past AC Milan 3-0 in Jakarta Friendly
Jakarta. Chelsea secured a convincing 3-0 victory over AC Milan in a preseason friendly at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Saturday, strengthening their preparations for the 2026/27 season.
The match marked The Blues' first appearance in Jakarta since 2013 and I Rossoneri's first visit to Indonesia in more than three decades. The Italian club last played in the country in 1994.
The fixture also offered an early glimpse of the tactical approaches of the clubs' new managers, Xabi Alonso at Chelsea and Ruben Amorim at Milan. Both coaches are attempting to rebuild their reputations after difficult periods at their previous clubs and are looking to usher in a new era at teams that endured disappointing 2025/26 campaigns.
Alonso arrived at Chelsea after a difficult spell at Real Madrid, where he fell out of favor during his brief tenure and was eventually replaced. Amorim, meanwhile, was sacked by Manchester United after a dreadful campaign that failed to deliver the turnaround the club had hoped for.
Both coaches favor systems featuring five defenders, adding an intriguing tactical dimension to the Jakarta meeting.
Chelsea dominated much of the match but had to wait until first-half stoppage time to break the deadlock.
Joao Pedro, who had already missed two good opportunities, finally put Chelsea ahead with a header from about six meters after meeting a corner delivered into the penalty area.
The Brazilian forward doubled Chelsea's advantage just seconds after the restart.
On Chelsea's first attack of the second half, Pedro Neto sent a curling cross toward the far post. Joao Pedro reached the ball and forced it past Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani to score his second goal of the night.
Chelsea extended their lead four minutes later through captain Moises Caicedo.
The goal came after Milan failed to fully clear a Chelsea corner. The ball fell toward Caicedo at the edge of the penalty area, and the Ecuadorian midfielder produced a superb first-time volley with the outside of his right foot.
The shot flew into the far corner, leaving Torriani with little chance.
The victory provided a welcome response for Chelsea after the London club suffered defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus in their previous two preseason matches.
Chelsea's performances under Alonso had raised some concerns during the earlier friendlies, but the Blues showed significant improvement against a Milan side that struggled to impose itself under Amorim.
Chelsea could have added to their tally had efforts from Geovany Quenda and Nicolas Jackson not struck the woodwork.
The victory gives Chelsea positive momentum heading into the final stage of their preseason campaign. The Blues will play their final friendly against Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday at 7 p.m. Jakarta time.
Chelsea will then begin their 2026/27 Premier League campaign against Fulham on Aug. 24.
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