Johor Darul Ta'zim Faces Chelsea: Key Matchup Breakdown, Bold Predictions, and Expected Lineups

Chelsea wrap up their preseason tour of Oceania and Asia with a friendly against Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday.

The Blues were in action in Indonesia on Saturday, where they dispatched AC Milan convincingly and delivered a much-needed bounce-back following back-to-back losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

Chelsea should close out the tour on a positive note in Malaysia, given the clear quality gap between the two squads. Alonso still has post-World Cup absentees and injury concerns to manage, but he has a wealth of elite talent and promising young players at his disposal.

Johor Darul Ta'zim are also in the midst of their preseason and have already played six friendlies. They come into this match unbeaten in five games, including a scoreless draw against La Liga side Elche, though the level of opposition has been well below Chelsea's standard.

Johor Darul Ta'zim vs. Chelsea Score Prediction

Chelsea Stroll to Commanding Victory

Chelsea remain a work in progress under Alonso, and it will take time before his talent-laden squad fully clicks into gear. That said, even a below-par display should be enough to secure a comfortable win over the side that has claimed the last 12 Malaysian Super League titles.

The depth of Chelsea's squad will prove valuable with only 24 hours between the Milan match and Sunday's fixture, and a blend of youth and senior players should cruise to a fairly straightforward victory.

The Blues have not been entirely convincing at either end of the pitch this summer, but will back themselves to put several goals past the hosts at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium while also recording a second clean sheet of the Alonso era.

Prediction: Johor Darul Ta'zim 0–3 Chelsea

Johor Darul Ta'zim Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea

It has been more than a week since the Southern Tigers last played, and they may field a lineup similar to the one that defeated Spanish club Cartagena 2–0 in their most recent outing.

Their multicultural squad features a Brazilian striking partnership of Marcos Guilherme and Bérgson, with a strong Spanish contingent including Antonio Glauder, Óscar Arribas, and Nacho Méndez operating behind them.

Croydon-born Hong Wan, a product of the Wolverhampton Wanderers academy, could feature off the bench for manager Xisco, who previously took charge of Watford and Sheffield Wednesday.

Johor Darul Ta'zim predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-5-2): Hazmi; Baharudin, Israfilov, Glauder; Arribas, Hidalgo, Fazail, Méndez, Corbin-Ong; Guilherme, Bérgson.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Johor Darul Ta'zim

With Chelsea also having played on Saturday, Alonso is expected to rotate and give those who saw limited minutes against Milan a chance to stretch their legs.

Fringe players and youngsters are likely to feature throughout the lineup. Dastan Satpayev and Liam Delap are expected to lead the attack, while Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli — the standout young talent of this summer — will be hoping to start alongside Reggies Watson and Walsh.

Mike Penders is set to start between the posts, though how much he will be tested remains to be seen.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Johor Darul Ta'zim (3-4-2-1): Penders; Sarr, Tosin, Subuloye; Estêvão, Nicoll-Jazuli, Essugo, Mudryk; Satpayev, Gittens; Delap.

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