English Premier League side Chelsea was held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Malaysian team Johor Darul Ta’zim in a pre-season friendly at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor, Malaysia on Sunday.
This stalemate comes just a day after Xabi Alonso’s side beat AC Milan 3-0 in Indonesia. With this draw, Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia and Asia came to an end.
English forward Liam Delap bagged a brace for the Blues but it was the home side which broke the deadlock in the 14th minute through Arif Aiman.
Delap then struck first of his two goals, both from the penalty spot, in the 42nd minute before giving Chelsea the lead 20 minutes later. However, Óscar Arribas Pasero and Bergson scored for the Johor-based team to give it the lead with four minutes left in regulation time.
But an 89th-minute own goal from Cristian Glauder saved the Premier League side’s blushes and ended the match in a draw.
Meet Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia’s most successful football team
Johor Darul Ta’zim, also known as the Southern Tigers, has 12 Malaysia Super League titles to its name. It clinched its record-extending 12th crown last season after dropping just two points.
Commendably, the club — which was founded back in 1972 — has won its league titles consecutively since 2014, reiterating its dominance in Malaysia men’s football.
The Tigers also won the 2015 AFC Cup, now the AFC Champions League Two, after beating Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol 1-0 in the final. With this title, Johor remains the only Malaysian team to win a continental title.
Interestingly, Indian side Bengaluru FC had knocked out Johor in the 2016 AFC Cup semifinals 4-2 on aggregate.
Published on Aug 09, 2026