Xabi Alonso started his reign as Chelsea manager with a dramatic 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia on Tuesday, led by a second-half hat-trick from Joao Pedro to seal the win for Alonso’s side.
Former Real Madrid coach, who took charge of Chelsea on July 1, played the first 60 minutes with youth, in the absence of the Blues’ key star players.
Seventeen-year-old Dastan Satpaev scored just six minutes into his debut, but Chelsea quickly conceded two goals as their defense struggled, then Portuguese youth international Dario Essugo tied the game at 2-2.
The Sydney team took the lead again in the second half, going ahead 3-2 and then 4-3, before Pedro’s late hat-trick saved Chelsea.
This win brings confidence to Xabi Alonso, who faces a tough mission next season as he tries to return Chelsea to their usual place among the top teams following a heartbreaking season finishing in the 10th place and missing out on European competitions.
Chelsea will face an even harder test on Saturday against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the same stadium, before continuing their pre-season games in other countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Chelsea have brought in four major summer signings to rebuild their squad: Morgan Rogers, Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra, and Emmanuel Emegha.
Of the new signings, only Italian defender Marco Palestra, who arrived from Serie A side Atalanta is on the tour.
Several World Cup players are also missing from the squad, including England’s Reece James and Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez.
