Chelsea vs Juventus: Three key takeaways from another pre-season defeat

Chelsea's pre-season preparations suffered another setback with a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong, leaving Xabi Alonso still searching for answers ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Edon Zhegrova's superb second-half strike settled a tightly contested encounter, while Chelsea struggled to create clear-cut chances despite dominating possession for long spells. The result extends the Blues' winless run in pre-season, but there were still several important talking points.

Geovany Quenda produced one of Chelsea's brightest performances on his first appearance of the summer.

After missing the opening matches of the club's Asian tour through injury, the 19-year-old immediately brought energy and creativity to the right flank. His combination play with Marco Palestra regularly stretched Juventus, while his willingness to carry the ball inside gave Chelsea an extra attacking outlet.

Quenda also created Chelsea's best first-half opportunity with an inviting cross that Danny Welbeck headed wide. Based on his display, the Portuguese winger has made a strong case to feature prominently once the competitive season begins.

Chelsea's biggest concern continues to be at the back.

With Levi Colwill unavailable, Alonso was once again forced to reshuffle his defence, preventing the consistency needed to build strong partnerships before the Premier League season begins.

The uncertainty was exposed when Juventus punished Chelsea with Zhegrova's outstanding finish, highlighting that the Blues still lack a settled defensive unit. Although Trevoh Chalobah's departure has reduced competition, Alonso still faces important decisions over his preferred centre-back pairing.

With only a few weeks remaining before the season starts, establishing defensive chemistry has become a growing priority.

The competition between Robert Sánchez and Mike Penders appears far from decided.

Sánchez started the match but offered another reminder of both his strengths and weaknesses. While he remained dependable when called upon, he looked uncertain when dealing with crosses into the penalty area.

Penders replaced him at half-time for his Chelsea debut and could do little to prevent Zhegrova's excellent strike. Nevertheless, the Belgian's arrival adds genuine competition, with Alonso expected to continue assessing both goalkeepers before naming a first-choice option for the new campaign.

Chelsea will look to bounce back when they face AC Milan in Jakarta this weekend. The match will provide Alonso with another opportunity to refine his preferred starting XI as he continues assessing new signings, defensive combinations and the battle for the number one goalkeeper spot ahead of the 2026/27 season.