Check out the best facts, stats and Opta data from this heavyweight clash in the Champions League with our Chelsea vs Barcelona stats page
Over the past couple of months, Chelsea have hinted that there was significance to this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup triumph.
And no matter how little weight can be attributed to that trophy, after this sensational win over Barcelona on the biggest stage, there can truly be no questioning how serious a force this team is.
In their first meeting with the Spanish giants since a 3-0 defeat in March 2018, Chelsea turned the tables and produced as convincing a display as you’ll see at this level.
It was a frantic start. From the off, it was end-to-end, with two teams bursting with attacking talent but boasting flaws in defence trading blows.
The hosts had the ball in the back of the Barcelona net inside five minutes but Enzo Fernández’s goal was disallowed for a Wesley Fofana handball. Seconds later, Chelsea survived a huge scare as Ferran Torres missed the target from point-blank range when it seemed easier to score. That was to be the most significant threat Barcelona posed to the Chelsea goal.
On 25 minutes, Fernández had the ball in the net again only to be denied for a second time, this time by the linesman’s flag. Chelsea were rampant, and they sensed blood. It wasn’t long before they scored a goal that would count, too.
A short corner was worked to Marc Cucurella to cross from the byline. Torres and Jules Koundé made a mess of clearing their lines, and the ball ended up in their own net. The final touch came off Koundé, meaning Barcelona had scored their 10th own goal in the Champions League – more than any other side – and their third against Chelsea, which is the joint most by any team against a specific opponent.
Chelsea vs Barcelona momentum
Things would soon get worse for the visitors. Their captain, Ronald Araujo, was booked for dissent shortly after the opening goal and then lunged in wildly and late on Cucurella as the Spaniard, who left Barcelona in 2020, broke up field. Araujo could have no complaints as the referee brandished a second yellow card just 12 minutes after the first.
It meant Barcelona had become only the third side to both score an own goal and receive a red card in the first half of a Champions League match, after Kaiserslautern vs Bayern Munich (March 1999) and Milan vs Barcelona (November 2011).
The red card was also the sixth in games between Barcelona and Chelsea in the Champions League, with only one fixture seeing more (Juventus vs Real Madrid – eight).
Barça manager Hansi Flick introduced Marcus Rashford at the break to try and turn the tide of the game, but the hosts were in no mood to let up. They pressed and attacked relentlessly and, a man down, Barcelona just could not live with them.
Ten minutes into the second half, Andrey Santos won the ball in the Barcelona half, and Reece James found Estêvão, who danced past Pau Cubarsí in the area before slamming viciously into the roof of the net. At 18 years, 215 days old, the Brazilian became the second-youngest player to score in each of his first three Champions League starts after Kylian Mbappé (18y 113d).
Later on, Liam Delap would put the seal on the victory with his first goal in the Champions League.
Seven years on from a 3-0 defeat to Lionel Messi’s Barcelona, Chelsea won by the very same scoreline, but it could have been much, much more. With this comprehensive win, they showed they should be taken seriously in this competition.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Chelsea vs Barcelona stats from their Champions League meeting at Stamford Bridge.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Chelsea vs Barcelona Stats: Post-Match Facts
No Chelsea player has been involved in more goals in all competitions since the FIFA Club World Cup than Enzo Fernández (7 – 5 goals, 2 assists).
Estêvão (18y 215d) is the third teenager to score in each of his first three Champions League starts after Kylian Mbappé (18y 113d) and Erling Haaland (19y 107d).
Since the start of 2023-24, Barcelona have received five red cards in the UEFA Champions League, more than any other side.
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