Chelsea Defeats Real Sociedad 3-1 in Friendly Match

Chelsea triumphed over Real Sociedad with a score of 3-1 in a friendly match at Stamford Bridge, marking the first victory for new head coach Xabi Alonso. Joao Pedro contributed significantly, scoring two goals in the second half, bringing his pre-season total to seven.

The match began with Morgan Rogers scoring the first goal in the 11th minute after a saved header from Joao Pedro. Sociedad equalized just before halftime with a long-range strike from Jon Aramburu. However, Chelsea regained the lead shortly after the break when Joao Pedro headed in a cross from Reece James, followed by another goal from him with 13 minutes left, assisted by Malo Gusto.

Alonso made 11 changes from the previous match against Johor Darul Ta’zim, with new signings including Rogers and Maxence Lacroix starting. Chelsea's next competitive match is against Fulham in the Premier League on August 24, while Sociedad will begin their La Liga campaign against Real Betis on August 21.