Johor Darul Ta’zim produced a stunning late comeback to hold Chelsea to a thrilling 3-3 draw in an entertaining pre-season friendly at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri.
The Southern Tigers showed tremendous fighting spirit against the Premier League giants, twice coming from behind before taking a shock 3-2 lead late in the match.
However, Chelsea rescued a draw in the final minutes through an own goal from Antonio Cristian, bringing an action-packed contest to a dramatic conclusion.
Chelsea, managed by Xabi Alonso, started with a largely rotated line-up, featuring an attacking trio of Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Estevao.
JDT, meanwhile, were determined to make the most of the opportunity to test themselves against one of Europe’s biggest clubs on home soil.
Chelsea enjoyed possession during the opening stages, but it was JDT who delivered the first major blow.
In the 14th minute, the home side launched a quick counter-attack and Arif Aiman finished the move brilliantly to put JDT in front.
The goal immediately lifted the atmosphere inside the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium and forced Chelsea to increase the intensity of their attacking play.
The visitors eventually found their equaliser just before half-time. Chelsea were awarded a penalty in the 43rd minute, and Liam Delap stepped up to make no mistake.
The England forward calmly converted from the spot to bring Chelsea level at 1-1, with the score remaining unchanged until the half-time whistle.
JDT had shown that they were not intimidated by the quality of their opponents, while Chelsea were forced to work harder than expected to break down the Malaysian champions.
Chelsea completed their comeback shortly after the restart. In the 62nd minute, the visitors were awarded another penalty and Delap once again took responsibility from the spot.
The Chelsea forward made no mistake, completing his brace and putting Alonso’s side 2-1 ahead.
At that stage, Chelsea appeared to have taken control of the contest.
But JDT had other ideas. Just three minutes later, the home side responded with a superb free-kick from Oscar Arribas, who found the back of the net in the 65th minute to make it 2-2.
The drama intensified in the closing stages. With just three minutes remaining in normal time, JDT completed another remarkable turnaround.
In the 87th minute, Brazilian striker Bergson produced a spectacular finish to put JDT ahead for the second time in the match.
At 3-2, the home crowd began dreaming of a famous victory over the English giants.
However, Chelsea responded almost immediately. Just two minutes after Bergson’s goal, Chelsea found a way back into the game.
In the 89th minute, Antonio Glauder turned the ball into his own net, allowing Chelsea to level the score at 3-3.
Despite the late drama, neither side could find a winning goal before the final whistle.
The match therefore ended in an entertaining 3-3 draw, with both teams sharing the spoils.
Credit Photo : HongZheng Lim/SNE-Photo
