Chelsea continued their preparations for the 2026-27 campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Italian giants Juventus in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday, a Sports Mole reports.
Edon Zhegrova netted the only goal of the contest in the 68th minute, with the 27-year-old’s excellent strike proving to be the difference between the two sides.
It is now back-to-back pre-season losses for Chelsea, with Xabi Alonso’s side also beaten 2-1 by fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Chelsea had Danny Welbeck at the tip of their attack alongside Joao Pedro, but it was difficult for the veteran forward to make his mark on his first appearance for the club.
As expected, there were changes at the break and then again as the second period progressed, with Alonso looking to get valuable minutes into the legs of his players.
Chelsea still have players to come back, but they do look short in a number of areas, and it remains to be seen whether the capital outfit are good enough to challenge for a return to the Premier League’s top five in 2026-27.
The match also marked the return to action for Mykhailo Mudryk, with the 25-year-old featuring for the first time following 20 months on the sidelines.
Mudryk had been provisionally suspended after returning an “adverse finding” for meldonium, which is a banned substance, but his case with the Football Association has now been resolved, and he was introduced in the 82nd minute of the clash.
As for Juventus, this was a third straight win in pre-season, keeping clean sheets in each of those fixtures, and the Old Lady look in good shape heading towards the new campaign.
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