Chelsea teenager Estevao scored a stunning solo goal 10 minutes after halftime to break Barcelona’s resistance.
Chelsea’s teenage star Estevao stole the show as the Blues humbled 10-man Barcelona 3-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
The focus before kick-off was the battle of the 18-year-old prodigies—Chelsea’s Estevao and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal—but it was the Brazilian winger who delivered the highlight.
Ten minutes after halftime, Estevao picked up the ball on the right, beat two defenders, and thundered a shot into the roof of Joan Garcia’s net, leaving the Barcelona defence flat-footed.
The goal, Estevao’s 10th of the season for club and country, left Barcelona with a mountain to climb. Substitute Liam Delap sealed the victory in the 73rd minute, sidefooting home after VAR overturned an offside call.
Chelsea dominated from the first whistle, and the opening goal came in the 27th minute when Barcelona’s Jules Kounde inadvertently poked the ball into his own net following a short-corner routine.
The game turned decisively before halftime when Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo was sent off for a second yellow card following a foul on Marc Cucurella.
In the second half, Chelsea maintained their intensity. Estevao’s solo brilliance and Delap’s finish ensured a commanding 3-0 scoreline, while Barcelona’s five-time European champions showed little threat. Stamford Bridge fans jeered ineffective Yamal throughout and after he was substituted late in the game.
Chelsea, back in the Champions League after a two-year absence, now have three wins from their first five group games, keeping alive hopes of finishing in the top eight for a chance at automatic last-16 qualification.
The Blues are also building momentum in the Premier League, sitting second ahead of Sunday’s home clash against leaders Arsenal.