Chelsea secured a 3-0 victory over AC Milan in the Indonesia Super Cup, a pre-season friendly held at GBK Stadium in Jakarta. The match was part of Chelsea’s ongoing pre-season tour of Asia. Manager Xabi Alonso‘s side saw goals from Joao Pedro and Moises Caicedo.
The fixture marked the penultimate match of Chelsea’s summer tour. Kick-off was scheduled for 7pm local time in Jakarta, which translated to 1pm UK time. The game was available for live viewing on CFC+.
Match Details and Line-up
Manager Xabi Alonso named a starting XI that included Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, and Joao Pedro. Robert Sanchez started in goal, supported by a defensive line comprising Marco Palestra, Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana, and Jorrel Hato. Caicedo was handed the captain’s armband and played in midfield alongside Romeo Lavia. The attack featured Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Pedro Neto, with summer signing Danny Welbeck leading the frontline. Welbeck had also led the attack in the previous match against Juventus in Hong Kong.
The confirmed Chelsea starting lineup was: Sanchez; Palestra, Acheampong, Fofana, Hato; Lavia, Caicedo (c); Palmer, Joao Pedro, Neto; Welbeck.
Substitutes for Chelsea included Sharman-Lowe, Penders, Subuloye, Tosin, Anselmino, Sarr, Essugo, Nicoll-Jazuli, Watson, Walsh, Quenda, Mudryk, Estevao, Gittens, Satpayev, Jackson, and Delap.
Goals and Second Half Action
The second half began with Chelsea making no changes to their lineup, while AC Milan introduced at least eight new players, including Nkunku and Ramos, replacing players like Modric and Leao. Just over a minute into the second half, Joao Pedro scored his second goal of the match, converting Neto’s cross from close range. This gave Chelsea a 2-0 lead.
Shortly after, Moises Caicedo extended Chelsea’s lead to 3-0 in the 50th minute. Caicedo fired home a volley directly from a corner with what was described as remarkable technique, prodding the ball into the far corner. Chelsea continued to press, with Lavia attempting to find Welbeck, though Gabbia managed to divert the ball.
In the 59th minute, Chelsea made their first changes, with Welbeck and Neto being replaced by Jackson and Quenda. Milan had an opportunity in the 65th minute when Palestra was caught out of position, allowing Musah to deliver a cross, but Ramos was unable to control the ball.
Pre-season Context and Upcoming Fixture
The match against AC Milan followed a 1-0 defeat to Juventus and a prior loss to Tottenham last weekend. These results indicate that manager Xabi Alonso is continuing to adjust his methods as he aims to build momentum ahead of the upcoming Premier League season. Doubts had remained over the fitness of Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, both of whom missed the midweek defeat in Hong Kong due to minor injuries. However, Mykhailo Mudryk returned to action for Chelsea for the first time in 20 months after his doping ban was lifted the previous week.
This game was the first of a weekend double-header of friendlies for the Chelsea squad. They are scheduled to face Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta’zim on Sunday.
Source: chelseafc.com
