Juventus Edge Chelsea in Hong Kong Friendly; Mudryk Returns, Nicoll-Jazuli Shines

JuventusTeam·Juventus claimed a 1-0 victory over ChelseaTeam·Chelsea in a pre-season friendly held in Hong KongVenue·Hong Kong, with Edon ZhegrovaPlayer·Edon Zhegrova's second-half strike proving decisive. The match, part of both clubs' preparations for the 2026/27 season, also marked the return of Mykhailo Mudryk to ChelseaTeam·Chelsea's squad and a standout display from 16-year-old midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli.

Zhegrova broke the deadlock for JuventusTeam·Juventus in the 68th minute, delivering a curling effort into the top corner that ChelseaTeam·Chelsea's defence could not repel. This result marked ChelseaTeam·Chelsea's second consecutive pre-season defeat under new manager Xabi AlonsoCoach·Xabi Alonso, while JuventusTeam·Juventus continued their promising start to their pre-season campaign under new coach Luciano Spalletti, maintaining a clean sheet in their third match.

The fixture was particularly significant for Mykhailo Mudryk, who made his first appearance for ChelseaTeam·Chelsea since November 2024. The Ukrainian winger entered the fray as a substitute in the 82nd minute, following the recent overturning of his four-year doping ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Mudryk, who had been sidelined for nearly two years after testing positive for meldonium, completed three accurate passes and registered nine touches during his brief return to competitive action.

Another notable performance came from ChelseaTeam·Chelsea's Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli. The 16-year-old midfielder started the match, partnering with Moises CaicedoPlayer·Moises Caicedo, and played for 66 minutes. Nicoll-Jazuli demonstrated composure and technical ability, completing 44 of his 46 passes and contributing two clearances and two ball recoveries in duels against experienced JuventusTeam·Juventus midfielders Manuel LocatelliPlayer·Manuel Locatelli and Douglas LuizPlayer·Douglas Luiz. ChelseaTeam·Chelsea manager Xabi AlonsoCoach·Xabi Alonso praised Nicoll-Jazuli's impact, highlighting his technical quality and dynamism during the pre-season.

Nicoll-Jazuli's rise has been swift, having made his UEFA Youth League debut at 15 in the 2025/26 season and consistently impressing across ChelseaTeam·Chelsea's youth teams. He is expected to sign his first professional contract upon turning 17 in January 2027.

For ChelseaTeam·Chelsea, the friendly serves as a crucial step in rebuilding after a challenging 2025/26 season, which saw them return to the UEFA Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League but conclude their domestic campaign with what was described as an "abomination" in its latter half. JuventusTeam·Juventus, who finished sixth in Serie ACompetition·Serie A in 2025/26, will compete in the Europa LeagueCompetition·Europa League in the upcoming season, having reached the Coppa ItaliaCompetition·Coppa Italia quarter-finals and the Champions LeagueCompetition·Champions League knockout phase play-offs.