Four Takeaways As Chelsea’s Preseason Defeats Mount Against Juventus

Chelsea’s trip to Hong Kong ended in a 1–0 defeat to Juventus on Wednesday, as a preseason outing of few chances was decided by a stunning Edon Zhegrova strike.

Xabi Alonso wasn’t too discouraged by his side’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, with an inspired Antonín Kinsky performance preventing the Blues from earning a positive result. However, Chelsea have now suffered back-to-back defeats, and the nature of their performance here may raise a few alarm bells.

There was tactical clarity from the manager, but Alonso’s team was compromised by a stubborn Italian outfit and a bobbly playing surface. The match lacked quality and became frustratingly stop-start in the second half, given the glut of substitutions.

Although it was a Bianconeri arrival who proved the difference, with Zhegrova’s first-time effort from distance catching Mike Penders out after 68 minutes. The game’s only goal was one of just six shots on target the two teams combined for at Kai Tak Sports Park.

Alonso’s Attacking Combinations

Alonso suggested in his prematch press conference that veteran addition Danny Welbeck was ready to feature for his new club, and the Englishman was named in Chelsea’s starting lineup on Wednesday.

With Cole Palmer missing out, Welbeck worked closely with João Pedro, whom he knows well from their time spent at Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion together. However, we seldom saw the pair combine in Hong Kong after a neat interaction early on from a Robert Sánchez kick upfield to bypass Juventus’ press.

The more impressive combination come down the right-hand side. Alonso’s possession shape was a 3-2-4-1, and there was plenty of freedom for newbies Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda to rotate. The latter was sharp on debut. He looked crisp technically and an adequate crosser with his left foot. Quenda dovetailed nicely with Palestra, who’s comfortable infield but looks most dangerous on the gallop.

The Italian is an impressive athlete who attacks space effectively. He can get stuck one-on-one, but we caught a glimpse as to why Chelsea signed the fullback this summer.

While the right side brought promise, Jamie Gittens was offered little support down the opposite flank. Jorrel Hato is less inclined to surge forward, leaving Gittens with much more work to do to bypass his markers and create.

In the first half, particularly, Chelsea’s left side was dormant in possession.

Teenager Stands Tall

The new Chelsea manager has spoken highly of the latest crop of Cobham graduates, and one of their gems is Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli.

The midfielder became the youngest starter and goalscorer in the UEFA Youth League last season, spending much of his time with the U18s. His talent is seismic, and Alonso has been taken aback.

At the start of Chelsea’s tour, the Chelsea boss said Nicoll-Jazuli boasts “special qualities that you don’t see that often from a 16-year-old.” The teenager came on at halftime in the defeat to Spurs at the weekend, and was included in the starting lineup here.

There are wrinkles for Nicoll-Jazuli to iron out. Importantly, though, he doesn’t look overawed. Physically, he can compete, and his work in counter-pressing moments was particularly impressive against Juve.

Playing alongside captain Moisés Caicedo certainly helped, yet Nicoll-Jazuli boasts his own sense of assurance that aided the Ecuadorian, too. Together, they worked well to stymie the Bianconeri, and the teen seldom shied away in the build-up phase in the face of pressure.

Despite his extraordinary youth, what’s stopping Nicoll-Jazuli from leapfrogging Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo in the midfield depth chart? The kid looks like the real deal.

Limited Threat a Concern

Xabi Alonso — While there was tactical clarity, Chelsea struggled to create. | Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

After scoring six times against the Western Sydney Wanderers to kick off their tour Down Under, Chelsea have found the back of the net just once in two outings against sterner opposition.

Juventus’ setup in Hong Kong may have surprised Alonso, with Luciano Spalletti adopting a 4-2-3-1 that allowed Andrea Cambiaso to operate as a faux winger down the right. Juve pressed high from goal kicks, but were more than content to settle into a mid/deep block when Chelsea bypassed their first line of pressure.

This was a good test for the Blues, who struggled to penetrate against deep-lying defenses last season, especially without Cole Palmer.

And while we can’t read too much into this performance, given the new faces and swathe of second-half changes, the Blues offered close to no attacking threat. While Alonso’s tactical instructions were evident, there was an imbalance down the flanks, and a dry pitch didn’t help central progression.

This was a tough outing for Alonso’s side, who toiled without much reward. In Palmer’s absence, they lacked a profile capable of ingenuity. João Pedro and Estêvão both struggled to get into the contest.

Still, the addition of Morgan Rogers and Estévão’s recovery from a hamstring injury means at full strength, Alonso should have a front four at his disposal capable of unlocking any Premier League defense.

Mykhailo Mudryk is Back!

After his four-year doping ban was rescinded, Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk was available for selection for the first time since November 2024.

Alonso said he was “very happy” to have the speedy winger at his disposal, but offered caution over his potential contributions in preseason. “It’s too early to tell how he is in terms of fitness, in terms of the game time you need to be involved again,” the Chelsea boss said ahead of this match.

The Blues have two more games on tour before returning to west London for a Stamford Bridge friendly against Real Sociedad, yet Alonso decided to hand Mudryk his first minutes of the summer here. He played the final 10 minutes with the Blues a goal down, entering the pitch to a huge ovation from the Hong Kong crowd.

His first appearance in 20 months returned little, but the 25-year-old must be absolutely thrilled to back donning Chelsea blue. There’s raw talent for Alonso to work with, yet the start of his Blues career highlighted the winger‘s need for his hand to be held by a gifted coach.

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