Garcia Hopes Alonso's Chelsea Finishes Second to Liverpool
Key Points
- Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso both signed for Liverpool on the same day in 2004 under Rafael Benitez.
- Garcia is now chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'azim and will host Chelsea at the 40,000-capacity Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sunday.
- JDT has not lost a domestic match since 2021 and is currently on a 108-game unbeaten run.
The match arrives as JDT prepares for what could be a historic moment in Malaysian football. The club has not lost a domestic match since 2021 and is currently on a 108-game unbeaten run in league play. That record could be extended when the Malaysian season restarts in August. The club also reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League last season, indicating growing competitiveness at continental level.
Chelsea's pre-season tour has included matches against Tottenham, Juventus, and AC Milan across Australia and other parts of Asia before arriving in Malaysia. For Garcia and Alonso, Sunday's fixture represents a reunion between two players who formed part of one of Liverpool's most successful modern periods under Benitez and later represented Spain together on the international stage.
Sources: BBC Sport and other international news outlets.
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