Chelsea 3-1 Real Sociedad: Five key takeaways from pre-season friendly

Xabi Alonso’s men prevail!

Chelsea have come out on top and secured a win in their final pre-season game ahead of the new season. At Stamford Bridge, there was no stopping them and the Copa del Rey champions have now been outplayed.

The Xabi Alonso-led side took control of the game from the very beginning. Their record signing, Morgan Rogers, opened the scoring in just under 10 minutes. With a 1-0 lead, Chelsea did fine until an equaliser came in from Real Sociedad in the final moments of the first half.

La Real failed to control the game in the second and conceded two more goals. They failed to secure a win and the Premier League side secured an easy win at home.

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Important things we learned from this match:

1. Morgan Rogers announces himself

In just under 10 minutes, the new record signing for Chelsea, Morgan Rogers, fired the ball at the back of the net. He started on the left wing under Xabi Alonso and after Joao Pedro’s attempt was saved, Rogers reacted quickly in the final third and helped the Blues take a 1-0 lead in just nine minutes. He played for around 60 minutes, during which the English winger created multiple chances and was a constant threat to the opponent’s defence.

2. Xabi Alonso’s tactics taking shape

During the earlier pre-season matches, Chelsea struggled with ball control and as well as their performance in the backline. But with World Cup stars returning, the Blues looked much more organised under Xabi Alonso. He came up with a 3-4-3 setup, which also took the shape of 4-2-3-1 during the later phase of the match. These are positive signs for the club ahead of the new season.

3. Real Sociedad’s promising effort despite defeat

Even though the Copa del Rey winners faced a 1-3 loss, they threatened Chelsea on multiple occasions. The midfield remains the strongest suit for Real Sociedad. They were calm and composed under pressure. Pellegrino Matarazzo will have several lessons here. Jon Aramburu was the sole goal scorer for the Spanish side.

4. Joao Pedro delivers yet again

Joao Pedro continues to remain the engine for Chelsea in the final third. The Brazilian forward came up with a sensational brace and helped the Blues secure a 3-1 win against La Real. All four of the shots by the 24-year-old were on target. He kept the opponent’s defence on edge at all times.

5. An improved Chelsea defence

Xabi Alonso came up with a trio of Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and the new signing Maxence Lacroix in the backline. This ended up in favour of Chelsea. These stars did not give away the ball with ease. Even though they conceded a goal to Real Sociedad, Lacroix, Fofana and Colwill performed really well. This is another big positive for them ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

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