Now Reading: Johor Darul Ta’zim hold Chelsea to 3-3 draw in pre-season friendly
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Johor Darul Ta’zim hold Chelsea to 3-3 draw in pre-season friendly
Chelsea were held to a 3-3 draw by Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta'zim in a pre-season friendly at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sunday. The home team broke the deadlock in the…
The Story in Brief
Chelsea were held to a 3-3 draw by Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta'zim in a pre-season friendly at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sunday. The home team broke the deadlock in the 14th minute through Arif Aiman. Chelsea's Liam Delap scored twice from penalties, first to equalise in the 42nd minute, then to put the Blues ahead 20 minutes later. But goals from Oscar Arribas Pasero and Bergson gave Johor the lead with four minutes left. An 89th-minute own goal from Cristian Glauder saved Chelsea from defeat.
Johor Darul Ta'zim, also known as the Southern Tigers, are Malaysia's most successful club with 12 Super League titles, all won consecutively since 2014. They also won the 2015 AFC Cup, the only Malaysian team to claim a continental title. Indian side Bengaluru FC eliminated Johor in the 2016 AFC Cup semifinals.
The Indian Opinion
Some will dismiss this result as a pre-season blip for a Premier League giant, but that sells Johor Darul Ta'zim short. The Southern Tigers have dominated Malaysian football for over a decade and won an AFC Cup. The real question is not why Chelsea struggled, but why Indian clubs rarely test themselves against such organised sides from Southeast Asia. The test to watch: can Johor carry this form into the AFC Champions League and prove it was no fluke?
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
