Chelsea ran out sensational 3-0 victors at Stamford Bridge in a fiery Champions League clash. But more-so, the 17-year-old hero Estevao was undoubtedly a player to watch, when he scored an unprecedented solo goal of the night and kept Fans thrilled throughout the game.
Estevao Outshines Yamal in the Teenage Showdown
The match got off the mark in the net when Jules Kounde attempted to clear a deflection but it hit him and bounced into his own net. Chelsea took the lead, and Ronald Araujo worsened Barcelona’s situation by receiving a second yellow just before the break. The stadium erupted as Chelsea maintained high pressure, forced errors, and constantly threatened Barcelona’s fragile defense.
Not long after the restart, Estevao Willian took the ball and in a stunning solo effort, he got around two defenders and fired at goal Chelsea’s second which found the net. His competition with Lamine Yamal was like one person versus two. After that, the crowd reacted extremely negatively when the coach substituted Yamal in the 80th minute, and he had to leave the field.
Delap Ends Drought as Barcelona Collapse Under Pressure
Liam Delap scored a neat finish for Chelsea’s third goal after Enzo Fernandez went down the offside line. Barcelona tried to answer with Marcus Rashford and Raphinha, but their play was disjointed without Pedri. Chelsea’s pressing was irritant to the Catalan side as they kept making mistakes, and Barcelona couldn’t regain their flow.
Author’s Opinion
Chelsea performed exceptionally well throughout the entire match and really didn’t seem out of place in the top eight teams of Europe. Moreover, the rapid development of Estevao Willian is something no one can control, and this win might be the spark of a long and successful run in the Champions League.
As featured on Chelseanews.com