Chelsea and AC Milan look for pre-season momentum in Jakarta

Chelsea FC and AC Milan meet in Jakarta on Saturday as both European clubs seek encouragement before the 2026-27 campaign begins, with Chelsea priced at 1.57 to score first in the prestigious friendly.

The match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 12:00 GMT on 8 August 2026. Nasser Eddy, a consultant for NCI Sport and presenter of the UEFA Champions League on Nostalgie radio, has provided his assessment and predictions for the game.

Chelsea are attempting to recover from a disappointing campaign that fell well short of the standards and expectations associated with the club. However, their preparations under Xabi Alonso have so far offered little certainty.

The Blues began their friendly programme with a victory against a modest Australian side, although they conceded four goals in the process. They have since lost consecutive matches, going down 2-1 to Tottenham last Saturday before a 1-0 defeat by Juventus on Wednesday.

It remains too early to draw firm conclusions, but Chelsea need a convincing performance against another major European opponent to reassure their supporters. Ukraine international Mykhailo Mudryk returned against Juventus after almost two years out through suspension, and his contribution, along with that of his team-mates, will be watched closely in Jakarta.

Chelsea’s defensive record remains a concern. They have conceded at least once in each of their past eight matches and have recently lost important players including Marc Cucurella and Trevoh Chalobah.

The team has also felt the absence of Enzo Fernandez, who is still on holiday after being involved in the most recent World Cup final. There is, however, considerable attacking potential despite the failure to score against Juventus. Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Geovany Quenda and the injured Emmanuel Emegha have been added to a forward group that includes Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens.

Chelsea have generally remained competitive in recent matches. In seven of their last games that did not end in a draw, they either won or lost by only one goal, suggesting their attacking threat can keep them within reach even when results go against them.

Milan still unbeaten but waiting for a win

AC Milan arrive in a similar position, with supporters and observers also waiting for clearer signs of progress. The Italian side have avoided defeat in their two pre-season fixtures, but have yet to win either.

They drew 2-2 with Celtic on 25 July before claiming a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in the derby known as the “Derby della Madonnina” on Wednesday. The equaliser came late in the match when Christopher Nkunku converted a penalty.

Milan manager Ruben Amorim sought to provide reassurance after the derby, saying that the team had shown some interesting qualities and was progressing well both tactically and physically.

The shape of his preferred squad is beginning to emerge. Goncalo Ramos, the club’s major attacking signing, made his debut against Inter, while Rafael Leao remains at Milan despite persistent reports linking him with a move away. Leao played for roughly 30 minutes in the derby.

Milan have followed a consistent pattern in pre-season: they have conceded the opening goal and scored only after half-time. That sequence will be tested by a Chelsea team that has also shown defensive vulnerability.

Ramos joined from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of more than 70m euros and made a promising first appearance. He played just under 30 minutes after replacing the talented young forward Francesco Camarda, showing encouraging early chemistry with international team-mate Leao.

The Portugal international is expected to become Milan’s first-choice centre-forward this season and could start against Chelsea. The match should therefore provide a clearer indication of how quickly he is adapting to life at the Lombardy club.

Chelsea have recently enjoyed the better of this fixture. When the sides met in the same type of pre-season setting on 10 August 2025, Chelsea won comfortably 4-1.

Their most recent competitive meetings came in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in October 2022, when Chelsea completed a 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge followed by a 2-0 win at San Siro. Across the last six meetings, Chelsea have won five times, with AC Milan’s only victory coming in a friendly in July 2012.

Despite that record, the prediction in this preview favours Milan to win at odds of 3.3, while both teams are backed to score at 1.35. A 2-1 AC Milan victory is considered a possible outcome at odds of 8.5.

Chelsea are also tipped to score first at 1.57, reflecting Milan’s habit of falling behind in their opening matches of pre-season.

Chelsea FC – AC Milan takes place at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, at 12:00 GMT on Saturday, 8 August 2026.

Odds may change.