The eagerly-awaited teenage battle of Stamford Bridge was won in emphatic style by Chelsea’s Estevao on Tuesday as he capped a lively display with a fabulous goal in a 3-0 win, as Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was as anonymous as most of his teammates.
Estevao surged past two defenders before slamming an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle to put Chelsea 2-0 up in the 55th minute of their Champions League tie after an early Barcelona own goal, with Liam Delap adding a deserved third.
Estevao had pushed and probed throughout a one-sided first half that ended with Barcelona reduced to 10 men, shooting wildly with his one good opportunity. But he oozed teenage self-confidence and after his memorable strike, he declared it the best moment of his fledgling career.
“I don’t really have any words to sum up how I’m feeling - the perfect night,” the 18-year-old Brazilian said. “It just happened before I even knew it, I wriggled through. I hope to score many more, it was definitely the most special moment of my career. I am so happy my family were here watching.”
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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca did his best to play down the result, and the hype around his teenage star, but could not help but appreciate the goal. “It’s a big win, especially as it’s Barcelona, but nothing has changed in terms of what team we are and what we can achieve,” he said.
“Estevao had a very good game, not only for the goal, he helped the team with how we were pressing. The goal reminded me of the one he scored against us in the Club World Cup – very similar, the same action," he said of Estevao's effort for Palmeiras in Chelsea’s 2-1 quarter-final victory in July.
As the crowd acclaimed their new hero, Yamal was substituted late on after making absolutely no impact – though he was far from alone in his team on that front.
And when Maresca was asked if Estevao reminded him of Lionel Messi, he was quick to shoot the idea down. "With him, Lamine, they are so young at 18 that if you start to talk about Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, I think it's too much pressure for young boys like them,” he said.
“At 18, they need to enjoy, they need to arrive at the training ground happy, but when you start to compare them with the Messi or with the Ronaldo, I think it's too much for them."
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