Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona
by Layth Yousif
at Stamford Bridge
ESTEVAO won the battle of the talented 18-year-olds when outshining Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, as Chelsea routed the Catalan giants 3-0 at a raucous Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.
The precocious Estevao lit up the big clash in front of 39,323 fans in SW6 with a fabulous goal — making the youngster only the third teenager to score in each of his first three Champions League starts, following in the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
A first-half own goal from Barca’s Jules Kounde, prior to Chelsea’s exciting Brazilian teen prodigy scoring after the break, supplemented by a third from Liam Delap, helped the Blues to a comprehensive victory.
Enzo Maresca’s dominant side also underlined the power of the Premier League when trouncing their La Liga opponents, albeit that the Catalan giants were reduced to 10 men before half-time, following the dismissal of their captain Ronald Araujo — sent off after picking up a second yellow card in 12 minutes, following a late challenge on Marc Cucurella.
Asked after the match if the goal was the best moment in his career, the engaging youngster from Brazil said: “Yes, it was definitely the most special moment in my career. I hope I keep scoring more and more for many years.”
Boss Maresca made five changes from the side that beat Burnley 2-0 at the weekend, with Moises Caicedo, Malo Gusto, Estevao, Wesley Fofana and Alejandro Garnacho being drafted into an increasingly coherent side.
Hansi Flick’s side came to Stamford Bridge with back-to-back La Liga victories under their belts, even if they did only scrape a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw in their last European game at Club Brugge.
Flick’s Barcelona featured star names in Yamal and legendary veteran Robert Lewanowski, with the German boss this week also praising Marcus Rashford for regaining his “smile” — even if the Manchester United loanee only made the bench, on a chilly November evening in west London.
This despite starting in Barca’s previous 10 matches before his absence at the weekend with a fever, during the side’s 4-0 romp over Athletic Bilbao on their long-awaited return to a revamped, but still work-in-progress, Camp Nou.
Whatever your football allegiance, the fact was it was good to see Rashford smiling during the warm-up with his colleagues. Not least because anyone who has managed to change the law of the land, while forcing uncaring Tories to finally agree to feed hungry, working-class kids, will always deserve the utmost respect from anyone who cares about such things.
Also on the pitch beforehand, albeit lurking on the touchline next to the Chelsea dugout, masked in a black hoodie, was the injured Cole Palmer in an unusual role as a low-key cheerleader. The look of surprise mixed with delight on all his teammates’ faces who recognised him as they ran back into the tunnel from their warm-up, an indication of the esteem England attacker is held in these parts, even if his self-inflicted, albeit accidental, toe injury forced him from playing a part in this mouth-watering clash.
In an encouraging start that was soon to fade badly, Barcelona carved open the Blues backline on five minutes, with a sublime ball from their prodigiously talented 18-year-old attacker Yamal, but former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres spurned the chance.
Shortly afterwards, Chelsea, playing with verve and intensity, pushed forward, as Reece James tested Joan Garcia in the visitor’s goalmouth. The 24-year-old former Espanyol netminder gathering well.
Despite having two “goals” correctly disallowed in the opening 20 minutes, Chelsea should have gone ahead 180 seconds later, when former Palmeiras attacker Estevao played a superb through ball to Pedro Neto, who powered into the box, only to drill his effort high over the apex of post and bar, when well-placed.
This storied fixture has had its fair share of character-led drama over the years.
Who can forget Fernando Torres’s semi-final winner at the Nou Camp in 2012 on the way to the Blues lifting the trophy for a second time in their history. Or Didier Drogba’s incandescent reaction after Andreas Iniesta’s last-minute equaliser in 2009, or even Ronaldinho’s iconic goal at Stamford Bridge back in 2005.
However, it was to be an unfortunate own goal that opened the scoring at a fevered Stamford Bridge, when Kounde put the ball through his own net on 27 minutes. The Blues opener coming after a tragi-comic mix-up between Barca’s Kounde, and Torres on the line, following Cucurella’s ball into the middle.
Despite Reece James firing over shortly afterwards, Barca’s Alejandro Balde showed a splash of joie de vivre when spinning opponents three times in a matter of moments using such beautifully quick feet, in a pleasing display of technical ability — albeit a less than efficient showing, that was far too near his own backline for boss Flick’s liking.
With the game heading towards half time, Barcelona harmed their cause, when on 43 minutes there was drama at the Bridge, with a sending off. Barca captain Araujo expelled by referee Slavko Vincic, after picking up a second yellow card in 12 minutes, following a late challenge on Blues left-back Cucurella.
Flick rearranged his 10 men during the interval, bringing on Rashford for Torres, but the lack of discipline from his captain denuded their ability to press aggressively from the top, while also weakening their defensive line at the back.
Shortly after the home side had a third goal disallowed, again correctly, shortly before the referee booked animated Chelsea boss Maresca for dissent, after Cucurella fouled Yamal in front of the dugouts.
The frustration on the Blues bench was soon to turn to delight, when Estevao thundered the ball past Barca keeper Garcia into the roof of the net on 55 minutes, doubling the home side’s lead at 2-0 at an increasingly raucous Stamford Bridge.
The goal was an expression of joy.
A sublime but deadly solo finish, that saw the young Brazilian power past Barca’s Pau Cubarsi, who was no match for his opponents’ mastery of the ball and tight control. With work still to be done, Estevao then shuffled the ball to his allegedly weaker right foot — though there was no evidence of such a notion — all the while holding off Balde, before blissfully slamming past Garcia.
Describing his emphatic strike after the match, Estevao modestly explained: “It was all very quick for me.
“It happened before I knew it. I just found some space and wiggled my way through and scored the goal. It was such a special moment for me in my career, and I hope to score many more.”
Flick swapped Lewandowski for Raphina just after the hour mark, while former Chelsea centre-back and 2021 Champions League winner with the Blues, Andreas Christensen came on for Fermín Lopez.
On 69 minutes, at a Barca corner, amid the noise, the Chelsea bench managed to get an instruction to Neto to push up, and not drop so deep, when anticipating the visitors’ set piece into their own box. Thereby giving an outlet for a swift counter, should the opportunity arise.
It proved to be a prescient directive, as the ball ended up in keeper Sanchez’s hands, who then rolled an underarm ball to the No7, as if it were a mere five-a-side kickabout, as Neto showed his class by driving thrillingly from the edge of his own area into the Barcelona box. Alas, his close-range shot was foiled by Garcia to prevent a memorable, not to mention perceptively marshalled strike.
Yet the third goal was soon to follow, when substitute Delap’s effort was confirmed by VAR, after the Blue’s No9 slotted home from close range on 73 minutes.
Such was Chelsea’s dominance, their fans sang impishly to Barcelona moments after the Blues went 3-0 up: “Are you Tottenham in disguise…” in a searing nod to Spur’s utter capitulation against Arsenal in the North London derby last weekend.
As the clock ticked down, Flick replaced the misfiring Yamal with Dani Olmo, with jeers ringing out from exultant home fans.
The last time this correspondent saw Barcelona’s teenage attacker in the flesh was when covering the final of Euro 2024, when Yamal’s youthful exuberance helped Spain beat England 2-1 in Berlin. Suffice to say, his underwhelming performance at The Bridge had been nowhere near that level, the underachievement amplified by Estevao ebullience.
All that was left was for jubilant Chelsea fans to serenade their victorious team — and taunt defeated Barca — with a succession of ever-louder “Oles” as the home side elaborately kept possession.
Speaking after the match, Maresca said: “It’s a big win because they are Barcelona.
“But nothing changes about the team we are, or what we can achieve. It’s important, but no more than that.”
Colossal clashes are coming thick and fast for the Blues. Next up is second vs first, Chelsea vs Arsenal, at the same venue on Sunday.
With Estevao in the form of his young life, it promises to be another mouth-watering encounter.
But for now, let’s just savour the Brazilian star for what he is: a tremendously exciting youngster. And hold off any comparisons to Lionel Messi.
Just ask the underwhelming Lamal about such unwanted analogies, on a night the European Championship winner was eclipsed by Chelsea’s effervescent young Brazilian.