Europe’s top clubs continued their preparations for the 2026/27 season with another exciting round of pre-season friendlies. Chelsea and Arsenal both suffered defeats against Juventus and Real Betis respectively, while AC Milan and Inter Milan shared the spoils in an entertaining Derby della Madonnina in Perth.
Chelsea Fall to Juventus After Zhegrova’s Wonder Strike
Chelsea’s difficult pre-season continued with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Juventus at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.
After a quiet first half with limited clear-cut chances, Juventus found the breakthrough early in the second half. Kenan Yildiz delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Edon Zhegrova, who unleashed a stunning left-footed strike into the top corner, leaving Robert Sanchez with no chance.
Chelsea attempted to respond and enjoyed their best opportunity through Marco Palestra, but Mattia Perin comfortably denied the effort. Head coach Xabi Alonso introduced seven substitutes midway through the second half in an attempt to change the game’s momentum, but the Blues were unable to find an equalizer.
Moises Caicedo captained Chelsea, while Danny Welbeck made his first full appearance for the club. Mykhailo Mudryk also returned to action after serving a lengthy anti-doping suspension. However, Chelsea were still without several key players, including Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, and Morgan Rogers.
The defeat marked Chelsea’s second consecutive pre-season loss following their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, despite having opened their summer tour with an entertaining 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Arsenal Beaten by Clinical Real Betis
Arsenal concluded their training camp in Spain and Ireland with a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Real Betis at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
The Gunners started brightly, with Viktor Gyokeres forcing an early save from Alvaro Valles. However, Betis quickly seized control as Rodrigo Riquelme opened the scoring from a corner before Nelson Deossa doubled the lead with a superb long-range strike.
Arsenal pulled one back through Piero Hincapie, who powered home a header from Christos Tzolis’ corner delivery. However, their comeback hopes were short-lived after Pablo Fornals capitalized on a misplaced pass from Kai Havertz to restore Betis’ two-goal advantage before halftime.
Mikel Arteta made seven changes after the break, introducing Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli for their first pre-season appearances. Despite improving after halftime, Arsenal were unable to break down Betis’ disciplined defense.
The afternoon became even more frustrating when 19-year-old Louie Copley was forced off with a knee injury shortly after coming on as a substitute. Arsenal now turn their attention to their final pre-season fixtures at Emirates Stadium ahead of the new campaign.
Milan and Inter Share Derby Honors in Perth
AC Milan and Inter Milan played out a competitive 1-1 draw in the Derby della Madonnina at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Before kick-off, both teams paid tribute to AC Milan legend Franco Baresi with a minute of silence, while Milan players wore black armbands in his honor.
Milan started brightly and came close through Yunus Musah, whose effort struck the post. Inter gradually grew into the contest and eventually took the lead early in the second half when Federico Dimarco finished a flowing move created by Matteo Lavelli and Nicolo Barella.
Milan responded by making several attacking substitutions, introducing Luka Modric, Rafael Leao, and Goncalo Ramos. Their pressure paid off when Christopher Nkunku won a penalty after being fouled by Carlos Augusto. Nkunku calmly converted from the spot to level the score at 1-1.
Inter pushed for a late winner, but Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani produced an excellent save to deny Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Neither side could find a decisive goal, as both teams settled for a draw in an entertaining pre-season derby.
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