Joao Pedro Stars in Chelsea's 3–0 Victory Over Milan in Jakarta

Chelsea’s pre-season gathered real momentum in Jakarta, where Joao Pedro struck twice and Moises Caicedo added a thunderous third in a 3–0 win over AC Milan that looked far more polished than a routine July workout.

This was no shadow XI. Xabi Alonso sent out a strong side in 30C heat, and they needed that resilience early on.

Slow burn, sharp finish

The opening half-hour dragged. The tempo sagged, the humidity didn’t help, and Milan settled more quickly. They moved the ball with a bit more purpose, asked a few questions, and for a spell had Chelsea shuffling rather than dictating.

Then Joao Pedro woke the game up.

He had already been Chelsea’s most dangerous outlet, drifting into clever pockets, snapping into half-chances, stretching a Milan defence that looked comfortable until he squared up to it. So when the breakthrough came, it felt inevitable he would be the one to break the deadlock.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, a Chelsea corner finally punished Milan’s slackness. Joao Pedro attacked the delivery with conviction, rising and steering his header home to give his side a deserved 1–0 lead just before the whistle. From a turgid half, Chelsea walked off with control and a touch of swagger.

Milan unravel, Chelsea punish

If Milan wanted to reset at the interval, they overdid it. Eight changes at half-time left them disjointed and searching for shape. Alonso, by contrast, trusted the players who had started, keeping his structure intact.

Chelsea pounced immediately.

Within a minute of the restart, Joao Pedro struck again. A free-kick from Pedro Neto was whipped into a dangerous area, and the forward reacted first, sweeping the ball in from close range. Same scorer, same ruthlessness, and suddenly Milan were staring at a long second half.

The Italians never really recovered from that punch. They struggled to organise themselves, lines broken, distances wrong, communication off. Chelsea sensed weakness and played with a freedom that had been missing in the early stages.

Then came the moment of the match.

Minutes after the second, a corner was only half-cleared and dropped invitingly to Caicedo on the edge of the area. He met it flush, a spectacular volley that ripped into the net for 3–0. A pre-season friendly in name, but that was a strike worthy of any stage.

Professional control to the finish

From there, Chelsea slipped into game-management mode. The intensity dipped, the patterns became simpler, but the discipline remained.

Milan saw more of the ball as the clock ran down, probing and recycling possession, yet they rarely pierced Chelsea’s defensive line. The clean sheet never truly looked under threat. Where the first half had been scrappy, the closing stages were calm, almost clinical.

For Alonso, the afternoon in Jakarta will tick a lot of boxes: Joao Pedro sharp and decisive in front of goal, Caicedo offering a reminder of his power from midfield, and a back line composed enough to see out a convincing victory without late drama.

Pre-season results do not define a campaign, but performances like this shape belief. On this evidence, Chelsea’s looks to be quietly building.