Johor Darul Takzim FC vs FC Cartagena

A cagey first half saw neither side break through, with the Spanish evening heat and early-season rust limiting clear chances. Cartagena's Abdel Lah offered the brightest spark from the left flank, while JDT had two early dangerous approaches that tested the home defence (La Opinión de Murcia). The scoreboard read 0-0 at the interval.

The deadlock lasted barely three minutes into the second half. JDT won a corner and Óscar Arribas — a player with previous history at Cartagena — escaped his marker to head home from close range in the 48th minute.

Cartagena responded through the experience of Pablo de Blasis, who orchestrated a spell of sustained pressure. The hosts carved out a triple chance inside the box but somehow failed to force the ball over the line — a moment that proved pivotal (La Opinión de Murcia).

JDT made them pay in the 61st minute. A ball over the top caught the Cartagena defence flat, and Marcos Guilherme rounded goalkeeper Jhafets before slotting into the empty net for 2-0. The Malaysian champions then controlled the remainder without alarm.

The 48th-minute corner routine that yielded Óscar Arribas's header: it gave JDT the lead immediately after half-time and forced Cartagena to chase the game, which in turn created the space for Guilherme's decisive second.

• Óscar Arribas (JDT) — Player of the match: The Spanish midfielder scored the opener against his former club, showing sharp movement to win his duel at the near post from a corner.
• Marcos Guilherme (JDT): The Brazilian forward wrapped up the win with a composed one-on-one finish, demonstrating the transition sharpness JDT will rely on this season.
• Pablo de Blasis (FC Cartagena): The veteran Argentine midfielder was Cartagena's most influential player after the break, driving forward and creating their best chance — a triple effort that somehow stayed out.
• Abdel Lah (FC Cartagena): Lively on the left wing in the first half, providing Cartagena's main attacking outlet before the interval (La Opinión de Murcia).

The match produced no first-half goals from 45 minutes of largely even play. JDT's decisive edge came from two distinct second-half sequences: a set-piece (Arribas's header from a corner) and a direct transition (Guilherme's finish after a defensive split). Cartagena's failure to convert a triple chance when trailing 1-0 was the game's pivotal moment — had they scored, the dynamic shifts entirely. Instead, JDT's defensive structure held firm after retaking the lead, absorbing pressure and hitting on the break.

JDT concluded their Spain camp with a 2W-5D-1L record across eight friendlies, including a notable 2-2 draw with Rangers and the sole defeat (3-2 to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq on 19 July). Xisco Munoz's squad now return to Malaysia for a high-profile friendly against Chelsea at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Saturday (The Star). The club also used the Spain trip to sign Spanish winger Stoichkov (Juan Diego Molina Martinez) from Deportivo La Coruña (The Star).

For FC Cartagena, the defeat — their second pre-season friendly — highlighted the integration work still needed under Íñigo Vélez. The club will open their Primera Federación campaign away to Algeciras CF at the Nuevo Mirador.

A professional run-out for JDT, who showed the sharpness of a team at the end of a full camp — two wins from their last two friendlies. Cartagena, still assembling their first XI, were competitive in spells but undone by individual lapses at a set-piece and in transition. Exactly the issues Vélez will want to iron out before the league starts.