Chelsea defeated 10-man Barcelona 3-0 at the Champions League on Tuesday.
Chelsea opened scoring in the 27th minute when a low cross from Marc Cucurella caused panic in the Barcelona defence and resulted in an own goal by Jules Koundé. Just before half-time, Barca captain Ronald Araújo was shown a second yellow card, leaving the visitors with 10 men as Chelsea maintained control of the match.
The Blues pressed their advantage in the second half. In the 55th minute 18-year-old forward Estêvão Willian drove past two defenders before firing a spectacular shot into the roof of the net. “It all happened very quickly,” Estêvão said. “I just found some space … it was a special moment for my career.”
Chelsea added a third in the 73rd minute when Liam Delap finished from a cross by Enzo Fernández.
Manager Enzo Maresca described the win as “a huge night” for both Estêvão and the club. He added that the team’s triumph in the Club World Cup has boosted the players’ confidence. “They realise they can win against any team,” he said.
Barcelona, by contrast, struggled to impose themselves. Their only real chance came early from Ferran Torres, but he blasted wide. After the red card, the visitors barely managed to string together three passes at a time, and offered almost nothing going forward.
Leave a comment