Johor Darul Ta’zim and Chelsea draw 3-3 in Malaysia

Chelsea drew 3-3 with Johor Darul Ta’zim after a match containing six goals and several changes of direction. Cristian Glauder’s late own goal produced the final score.

Johor led first through Arif Aiman before Liam Delap converted two penalties. Oscar Arribas and Bergson then moved the home side ahead again.

Chelsea changed its starting lineup one day after its previous match

Chelsea had faced AC Milan in Indonesia twenty-four hours before the Johor match. Xabi Alonso therefore changed the entire starting lineup in Malaysia. Filip Jorgensen Sharman-Lowe started in goal behind a defence containing Tosin Adarabioyo, Malang Sarr and Aaron Anselmino. Romeo Lavia Essugo captained the side. Estevao, Jamie Gittens, Nicolas Jackson and Delap supplied the attacking options. The selection gave several squad players a longer pre-season opportunity. A crowd of 28,741 attended at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium. Johor treated the friendly as a major home event and attacked with confidence from the opening period.

The first goal arrived in the fourteenth minute. Marcos Guilherme carried the counterattack and delivered the final pass for Arif Aiman. Arif completed the move from close range. Chelsea had held possession, but Johor reached the home penalty area with greater speed during the transition. Anselmino then left with an injury. Sixteen-year-old Reggie Watson entered and gained unexpected minutes against an experienced Johor attack. Chelsea continued using the ball but needed a direct run from Gittens to create the equaliser. His movement drew the first penalty of the evening.

Delap scored one penalty before half-time and another after the break

Delap took responsibility for the first penalty in the fortieth minute. He finished from the spot and sent the teams into halftime level. Chelsea won another penalty after the restart. Delap again converted, placing the visiting side 2-1 ahead in the sixty-second minute. The two goals came from the same method but followed separate attacks. They gave Delap useful finishing work without producing an open-play goal. Chelsea’s lead lasted only a few minutes. Johor continued pressing around the edge of the area and earned a dangerous free kick.

Oscar Arribas took the free kick in the sixty-fifth minute. His shot took a deflection and entered the net to make the score 2-2. Johor then moved ahead in the eighty-sixth minute. Bergson struck from outside the area and placed the ball beyond Gabriel Slonina. The late goal appeared to complete another comeback. Johor had responded after falling behind and now held a one-goal advantage near the finish. Chelsea pushed additional players forward during the final attacks. Quenda found space on the right and delivered the cross that created the last goal.

Glauder’s late own goal completed the 3-3 draw

Cristian Glauder tried to clear Quenda’s cross in the eighty-ninth minute. The defender instead directed the ball into his own net. The own goal levelled the match at 3-3. Neither side found a seventh goal during the short period that remained.

Supporters waited for a possible penalty shootout after the final whistle. The teams left the pitch and the friendly ended as a draw. Chelsea therefore completed the match with two penalty goals and one own goal. Johor’s three goals were scored by three different players.

Chelsea used a changed lineup for matches on two consecutive days

Alonso received ninety minutes of evidence from players who had not started the previous day. The young replacements also faced a strong and experienced home side. Chelsea recovered from two separate Johor leads. The visitors also failed to protect the advantage created by Delap’s second penalty.

Johor showed clear quality in transition and around set pieces. Arribas and Bergson supplied the most important second-half actions for the home team. The 3-3 score closes the Malaysian fixture with an exact record. Chelsea now returns from Asia with defensive details to review before the next friendly.

Delap scored twice from the penalty spot

Delap won the first penalty after receiving Gittens’s pass inside the area. His strength helped him protect the ball before the challenge arrived. The second spot kick gave him another controlled chance after halftime. He chose a confident finish again and temporarily moved Chelsea ahead.

Two converted penalties are recorded as two goals for the forward. They do not hide that Chelsea created too few clear open-play finishes against Johor.