London, Aug 16 (V7N)- Chelsea began the Xabi Alonso era with an impressive 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad in their first friendly match following the 2026 World Cup.
Alonso, who left Real Madrid to take charge of Chelsea, signed a four-year contract with the London club in July. His first appearance at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager drew a strong crowd, with fans eager to see the new-look side in action.
Chelsea took the lead just nine minutes into the match through Morgan Rodgers. However, Real Sociedad fought back and equalised shortly before half-time.
The Blues regained control immediately after the break. Just two minutes into the second half, Brazilian forward Joao Pedro put Chelsea back in front with a header inside the penalty area.
Pedro continued to cause problems for the Sociedad defence and doubled his tally in the 77th minute, calmly beating the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.
His brace ultimately secured a comfortable 3-1 victory for Chelsea and gave Alonso a winning start in front of the home supporters.
The 2026-27 Premier League season is scheduled to begin next Friday (August 21). Chelsea will open their league campaign against Fulham on August 25.
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