Chelsea vs Juventus: Pre-Season Clash Preview, Team Updates, and Lineups

After a tough London derby loss in Australia, Chelsea heads to Hong Kong for a friendly against Italian giants Juventus at Kai Tak Sports Park on Wednesday. Both teams are preparing for the upcoming season, with Chelsea having recently lost to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus securing a low-key win against Nice.

Match Context

This summer marks a period of transition for Chelsea under new manager Xabi Alonso, who has been reinforcing an otherwise young Premier League squad by adding experienced players. Veteran striker Danny Welbeck has joined, while 36-year-old Jordan Henderson is expected soon. New signings like Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix have already arrived. In recent matches, Brazilian youngster Estevao scored Chelsea's lone goal during their Sydney Cup defeat to Tottenham, following an entertaining 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.

Chelsea’s goal is to quickly gain fitness ahead of their Premier League opener against local rivals Fulham on August 22. Before that, they will tour East Asia, facing Juventus in Hong Kong, AC Milan in Indonesia, and Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia within eight days.

Previous Encounters

The last meeting between Chelsea and Juventus was in 2021, where Chelsea won 4-0 at Stamford Bridge during the Champions League group stage. Historically, Juventus had the upper hand with two wins in three prior meetings. Neither team will participate in the Champions League this season—Chelsea dropped off last term and Juventus missed out on a top-four finish. The Turin club now competes in the Europa League, with interim coach Luciano Spalletti remaining in charge despite recent struggles.

Juventus performed well in pre-season, drawing 0-0 with Basel and beating Standard Liege and Nice, with Douglas Luiz scoring against Nice. Their Serie A campaign begins on August 23 against promoted Frosinone. After this match, they will return to Italy for games against Palermo and their youth squad before heading to Hong Kong and then Australia to face Inter Milan.

Recent Pre-Season Form

• Chelsea: W (6-4 vs Western Sydney Wanderers), L (0-1 vs Tottenham)
• Juventus: D (0-0 vs Basel), W (vs Standard Liege), W (vs Nice)

Team News

Chelsea welcomed back Mykhaylo Mudryk from a long suspension and added late arrivals Danny Welbeck, Pedro Neto, and Geovany Quenda to their touring squad. Goalkeeper Mike Penders is available and might challenge Robert Sanchez for the starting spot; Teddy Sharman-Lowe could be on the bench. Midfielders Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson missed the Spurs game after World Cup breaks but may feature against Juventus. Enzo Fernandez, Maxence Lacroix, and Morgan Rogers remain sidelined. Forward Liam Delap looks set to leave, leaving Kazakh prospect Dastan Satpaev and Joao Pedro, who scored a quick hat-trick recently, as likely starters upfront.

Juventus can no longer count on former Chelsea target Dusan Vlahovic, who left after his contract expired. Arkadiusz Milik, now fit again, could lead their attack. Coach Spalletti strengthened the squad by bringing back Randal Kolo Muani, signing Bosnian talent Kerim Alajbegovic, and adding right-back Zeki Celik from Roma on a free transfer. Jeff Ekhator arrived from Genoa but is sidelined with a muscular injury alongside key midfielder Khephren Thuram.

Likely Starting Lineups

• Chelsea: Sanchez; Palestra, Acheampong, Colwill, Hato; Lavia, Caicedo; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Pedro
• Juventus: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly; Celik, Locatelli, Luiz, Cambiaso; Zhegrova, Boga; Milik

Prediction

With several key players returning, Chelsea should field a stronger side than in previous friendlies. They are expected to overcome a modest Juventus squad. Years of mismanagement have taken their toll on Juventus, while Chelsea appears to be taking a steadier course under Alonso's guidance. We think the Blues will win 3-1.