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Marc Cucurella plays down matchup with Lamine Yamal ahead of‘special’week for Chelsea

All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening when Chelsea kick off the first of two games that could have massive implications on the rest of their season.

The Blues will host Barcelona in the Champions League group stages, as they look to close the gap to the top eight and an automatic place in the Last 16.

Enzo Maresca will be without Cole Palmer, meaning he will have to rely on some of his other top stars to complete what would be a massive victory.

One of those is Marc Cucurella, who is set for arguably the biggest test of his defensive capabilities when he lines up against international teammate Lamine Yamal.

Spain v France - UEFA Nations League 2025 Semi-final

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Marc Cucurella plays down clash with Lamine Yamal

Cucurella already has a goal against Barcelona under his belt, but facing the Ballon d’Or runner up will likely limit how much attacking he can do.

Despite this, the Chelsea man has played down the upcoming battle against Yamal, stating that while it is difficult to play against him, the game will be decided in more areas than just that duel.

Marc Cucurella is playing down his battle with Lamine Yamal

“We have a good opportunity. We need to know it’s two big games, but it’s nothing more than three points.

“It’s difficult to play against them [type of players] because they have special talent and a lot of quality. It’s not Lamine [Yamal] vs Cucurella. It’s a big game. We need to have a big game.”

Marc Cucurella

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Yamal vs Estevao the highlight of Chelsea vs Barcelona

While Barcelona look as if they have a star for years to come in Yamal, Chelsea have their own wonderkid coming through who is proving his worth.

Estevao Willian is likely to start against the Spanish giants after being rested for the win against Burnley, and has scored in his last two Champions League games.

Maresca has praised Estevao in the build up to the game, believing he will not be seeing Yamal as a role model for what he can do.

Chelsea fans are already lost in just how good the Brazilian can be, but a strong performance against one of Europe’s top sides will be the first step to showing the outside world just how talented he already is.

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