Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso were unveiled as Liverpool signings on the same day in 2004, and they are back in the same story in Malaysia. Garcia, now chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'zim, has welcomed Alonso's move into the Chelsea dugout with a grin and a dig, saying he hopes his old team-mate finishes behind Liverpool next season.

Garcia's Liverpool dig

"I wish him all the best [at Chelsea], but even though I love him, hopefully he ends up second to Liverpool next season," Garcia said. It is classic reunion banter, but it also gives this pre-season stop a sharper edge than most friendlies get.

Chelsea arrive in Malaysia with a mixed run behind them, going L-W-L-D-L across their last five matches and winning just one of those games. That is the backdrop to a tour finale that already has a bit more spice because Alonso is the man in charge.

JDT's test in front of a full house

The game will be played at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, which holds 40,000, and Garcia expects JDT to make the most of it. He called the fixture the club's biggest pre-season test, and the numbers behind the home side explain why.

JDT are on a world record-equalling 108-game unbeaten run. Garcia also pointed to the scale of the challenge they face in continental football, saying it was difficult against teams with budgets that pass over $150m (£111.2m) when JDT operate on $15m.

JDT reached the AFC Champions League quarter-finals last season, and they drew with Rangers and Elche before beating Cartagena in their Alicante training camp. That is a stronger enough list of results than most touring sides will meet in July, which is why Chelsea's final stop feels more like a proper test than a ceremonial outing.

The friendly is still a reunion first and a result second, but Garcia has made sure it comes with a bit of Liverpool colour attached. Chelsea and JDT meet at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, and Alonso gets his old Liverpool team-mate on the touchline story as well as the football one.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →