Enzo Maresca made it clear that he is not getting caught on the hype train about Estevao.
The Brazilian pulled out a wonder goal against **Barcelona**that was reminiscent of his screamer for **Palmeiras**against the Blues, becoming the third teenager to score in his first three Champions League starts after Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. But he has to keep his feet on the ground.
*“The goal from Estevao reminded me of the goal he scored against us in the Club World Cup, that is very similar, same action. Estevao needs to relax, he needs to enjoy, he needs to session, he needs to play football. Him, Lamine Yamal, they are so young, 18.*
*“If you start to talk about Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, I think it's too much pressure for young boys like them. 18, they need to enjoy, they need to arrive at the training ground happy. But when you start to compare them with Messi or with Ronaldo, I think it's too much for them.*
“If he doesn't play, Pedro Neto plays wide in his position. And Pedro is good. And we are happy with Pedro. We try just to defend the game plan, we use 11 players. Tonight we decided, probably in the most difficult game of the season, we decided to play with Estevao. So I'm not a manager that I don't allow players to play minutes. It's just the game plan. The game plan always decides the first 11.
*“It's the reason why we changed so much. And you say that we are unpredictable. But it's the game plan. The game plan defines the first 11. Now the next one is Arsenal. The game plan is not always good, sometimes it's also wrong. It defines the first 11. And Estevao, when the game plan is for him, he's going to play. And for sure he's going to play many games because he's very good.”*