'Messinho' Estevao evokes Messi magic as Chelsea crush Barcelona 3-0

Estevao celebrates scoring Chelsea's second goal in their 3-0 victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Getty Images

Chelsea delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, with 18-year-old Brazilian Estevao stealing the spotlight in a performance that evoked memories of Lionel Messi. The win temporarily lifted Chelsea to fourth in the Champions League standings and sent a clear message across Europe about their contention in the competition.

Manager Enzo Maresca's bold tactical decision to start without a traditional striker proved to be a masterstroke. Instead, Portuguese winger Pedro Neto played up top, a move that initially worried fans but ultimately enhanced trust in Maresca's big-game management. The approach allowed Chelsea to exploit Barcelona's high defensive line with direct passes throughout the match.

Defensive Excellence

Marc Cucurella earned player of the match honors for his outstanding performance at left-back, effectively neutralizing Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. Wayne Rooney praised the display during commentary, calling it «absolutely incredible» and among the best left-back performances he had witnessed «in a very long time».

Cucurella credited his teammates for their collective effort and adherence to the game plan. Chelsea's disciplined performance marked five games without a dismissal and kept their first clean sheet against Barcelona in years, ending the Spanish club's remarkable streak of scoring in 53 successive matches.

Battle of the Teens

The match featured a notable contest between two 18-year-olds with magical left feet. Estevao, nicknamed "Messinho" during his time at Brazilian club Palmeiras, scored Chelsea's second goal midway through the second half. The strike evoked comparisons to a famous Messi goal against Jerome Boateng a decade prior, as Estevao weaved past defenders Alejandro Balde and Pau Cubarsi.

Yamal, long compared to Messi and designated as Barcelona's future legendary figure, struggled throughout the match despite playing through a groin injury. The Stamford Bridge crowd ironically cheered when he was substituted in the 79th minute. Two minutes later, Estevao received a standing ovation when he came off.

Barcelona's Collapse

Barcelona's troubles began before halftime when Ronald Araujo was sent off for clattering Cucurella. The defender had already been booked for dissent before receiving his second yellow card. Playing with ten men for the entire second half severely limited manager Hansi Flick's options, already constrained by Barcelona's injury crisis.

Chelsea capitalized on their numerical advantage. Jules Kounde's own goal opened the scoring, followed by Estevao's strike and Liam Delap's late third. The defeat leaves Barcelona's hopes for automatic progression to the knockout stages remote.

Title Implications

The victory positions Chelsea strongly for their top-eight league phase target. A win in the upcoming London derby against Arsenal could narrow the gap to the Premier League leaders to just four points. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is expected to have taken extensive notes from watching Chelsea's best performance since the Club World Cup final.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).