Key facts
- Chelsea are undefeated in their last four games in the Champions League, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 14th September 2022 to 2nd November 2022, a run of five games.
- No Blues player has been involved in more goals in all competitions since the FIFA Club World Cup than Enzo Fernández (seven – five goals, two assists).
- Estevao (18y 215d) is the third teenager to score in each of his first three Champions League starts after Kylian Mbappe (18y 113d) and Erling Haaland (19y 107d).
Highlights
Analysis
Estêvão starred for Chelsea and was awarded a Flashscore rating of 8.0 for his Man of the Match performance.
Match report
An early disallowed Chelsea goal for handball added to what was already an intense atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, and only Barça’s unmarked Ferran Torres will know how he missed the target from 10 yards out just a few minutes later.
As the game began to open up, the Blues appeared more purposeful, but the visitors threatened on the break, with Lamine Yamal at the hub of proceedings. At the midway point of the first half, Estévão’s whipped free-kick was headed home by Enzo Fernández, but that too was ruled out, this time for offside.
It wouldn’t be long before Chelsea did score, however. Marc Cucurella’s low cross caused all sorts of problems, and when Torres and Jules Koundé both failed to sort their feet out, the ball bobbled over the line off the latter’s boot. Barça huffed and puffed for the remainder of the half, but due in no small part to Moisés Caicedo’s defensive excellence in midfield, Chelsea kept them at bay with relative ease.
And as HT approached, Ronald Araújo’s wild challenge on Cucurella earned him a second yellow card and subsequent red, ensuring an uphill battle in the second half for the Catalans.
Within five minutes of the restart, Andrey Santos thought he’d added Chelsea’s second goal, though that too was ruled out, as Alejandro Garnacho had strayed offside earlier in the move.
By now the hosts were dictating play though, and Estévão’s sensational run and finish for the Blues’ second was no more than they deserved. In reaction to that, Marcus Rashford and Raphinha came onto the field, but did little to alter the patterns of play in Barcelona’s favour.
By contrast, Chelsea’s own substitute, Liam Delap, ended the match as a contest with a coolly-taken maiden strike in the UCL. Taking full advantage of the opportunity given to him, he fired in at the far post after receiving a square ball from Fernández, which came via a breakaway that saw the Argentina international beat a rigid Barcelona’s attempted offside trap by mere centimetres.
Now losers just once in their last 10 H2Hs against Barcelona (W3, D6), Chelsea will see this as a major test passed with flying colours. The result also means Chelsea have extended their unbeaten run to six games overall, while leaving Barcelona potentially looking at a Champions League play-off position in order to make the knockout rounds.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Estévão (Chelsea)
Click here to see all the stats of the match.
Post-match comments
Chelsea goalscorer Estevao, speaking to Amazon Prime: "I don't really have any words to sum up how I'm feeling right now. It really was the perfect night. I'm just grateful to God for everything that has happened for me.
"Onwards and upwards from here."
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick in his post-match press conference: "It's not easy against this team. I saw some really positive things from my team, I'm looking forward to the next matches.
"We have nine points to win in the Champions League, we can achieve this but at the end today we made some big mistakes.
"It's a performance from the team, I saw some really positive things and the other things we have to work on."