17-year-old Kazakh footballer Dastan Satpayev again started on the bench and came on as a substitute in the 65th minute of the match between Chelsea and Juventus in Hong Kong. The English club suffered their second consecutive defeat in the pre-season tour, losing 0:1, reports infohub.kz.
Chelsea's head coach Xabi Alonso left Satpayev out of the starting lineup for the second game in a row. Notably, in both matches where the Kazakhstani began on the bench, the Londoners lost. The Spanish specialist is actively rotating the squad, seeking the optimal combination of players. The left wing position, where Satpayev played in the first match of the Australia-Asia tour, was again occupied by Jamie Gittens.
Before this game, the head-to-head record between Chelsea and Juventus was completely even: two wins and two draws each. The first half of the new match between the tenth-placed team in the Premier League and the sixth-placed team in Serie A also saw an even contest. Clear-cut chances were rare, but the goalkeepers—Robert Sanchez for the Londoners and Michele Di Gregorio for the Turin side—had to be alert.
After the break, Sanchez and Di Gregorio made way for Mike Penders and Mattia Perin respectively. Satpayev continued to wait for his chance on the bench. His moment came in the 65th minute when Alonso made a mass substitution, bringing on seven players at once. Among them was Gittens, whose position the Kazakhstani took over. However, Satpayev was not limited to the left flank, often drifting into the center and even to the opposite wing.
Shortly after the mass changes, Luciano Spalletti's men took the lead. The Kosovar from Turin, Edon Zhegrova, scored a superb goal from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner—1:0.
In the 82nd minute, Mykhailo Mudryk came on. The Ukrainian, who had been cleared of doping charges, took up the left attacking flank. Satpayev moved into the center. From there, the former Kairat player, positioned just outside the box, unleashed a powerful left-footed shot, but Perin was equal to it.
The English side's prolonged possession-based attacks yielded nothing. The Old Lady celebrated a narrow 1:0 victory.
In the first match of the tour, Chelsea thrashed Australian club Western Sydney Wanderers 6:4. Satpayev opened the scoring in that game, netting his first goal for the Club World Cup champions. In the second match of the tour, the Blues lost to Tottenham in a London derby 1:2. The Kazakh newcomer came on in the second half but made little impact.
On August 8, Chelsea will face AC Milan in Jakarta. The tour will conclude on August 9 with a match against Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim.
Satpayev's transfer from Kairat to Chelsea was announced in February 2025. The deal, including bonuses, was valued at €4.3 million. Before leaving for England, the young forward had played 58 matches for the Almaty club, scoring 26 goals and providing ten assists.