and Estevao are each 18, each possess a magical left foot and each are already at dwelling on the They’ve one other factor in widespread: Yamal has spent most of his younger life being in comparison with Lionel Messi, pre-ordained as Barcelona’s subsequent legendary determine at solely 14 years outdated; Estevao was dubbed “Messinho” when he first emerged at Brazilian membership Palmeiras.
Each have understandably tried to shun the comparability, and but there have been simple glints of right here at Stamford Bridge. Estevao nonetheless had defenders to beat when he obtained the ball within the inside-right channel 30 yards from purpose. What he did subsequent can be remembered for a very long time by those that witnessed it, drawing Pau Cubarsi in direction of him earlier than shimmying across the defender’s legs, holding off Alejandro Balde and crashing a right-footed shot into the roof of the online.
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Cubarsi didn’t fall to his bottom like Jerome Boateng did within the face of Messi’s weaving run a decade in the past. There was not the identical subtlety within the feint, nor the deft dinked end. However on an evening when the 2 greatest 18-year-olds on this planet took up station on reverse sides of the identical pitch, the one flecks of greatness got here courtesy of Chelsea’s quantity 41.
It was the second purpose during which despatched a transparent message throughout Europe that Chelsea, the world champions, are contenders within the Champions League – albeit towards a 10-man Barca group within the second half. Chelsea are briefly as much as fourth within the standings, at the least earlier than Wednesday evening’s video games, and their goal of ending within the high eight of the league section is eminently reachable. Barcelona began the evening on the identical factors however their hopes of automated development to the knockout phases now look distant.
Chelsea’s Estevao scored a wondergoal towards Barcelona (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)
Mikel Arteta will little question have been watching with notepad in hand forward of the London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Chelsea are Arsenal’s closest rivals within the Premier League, and whereas it’s onerous to think about the group that stuttered to such a flat defeat by Sunderland just a few weeks in the past placing up a title problem, victory this weekend would transfer Enzo Maresca’s facet to inside 4 factors of the league leaders.
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Arteta will little question have taken copious notes on Estevao. The Brazilian was direct and threatening with the ball at his ft however his recreation was extra polished than simply dribbles to the byline. His choices in full stream have been virtually all the time proper, his weight of cross was often judged to perfection, and he even used his slight body to carry the ball together with his again to purpose and arrange a few telling counterattacks.
Against this, Yamal confirmed a few of his easy working with the ball however discovered little or no pleasure towards who was usually dogged in his process. One Cucurella deal with within the field introduced roars and chest bumps among the many Chelsea defenders. Yamal went lacking lengthy sufficient for his mother and father to begin getting apprehensive, and when he lastly discovered some area across the field, he made the fallacious alternative, dinking an formidable cross to no one particularly when the shot was on.
For all their similarities, there’s one apparent distinction between Estevao and Yamal. Barcelona and Spain have been flogging their prodigy for a few years now, and it has been just about relentless. Yamal has struggled with a groin harm this season however has nonetheless been required to begin 12 video games, whereas Estevao has began his final three Champions League video games – scoring in every – however has primarily featured from the bench within the league.
Yamal couldn’t impose himself on the sport (AFP through Getty Photos)
That’s partly a results of Chelsea’s riches, with a squad that may produce two fully completely different however equally gifted XIs three days aside. It’s also right down to Barcelona’s horrendous spate of accidents this season, which has seen Hansi Flick with few choices to select from every week. It’d clarify a barely withdrawn Yamal, though he didn’t appear fatigued a lot as uninterested by the tip right here, the spirit knocked out of him by Cucurella’s defending.
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Barcelona did make it straightforward, and Maresca’s plan was clear from the second minute when dropped again into his personal half to obtain a cross from his defenders. There, he would possibly usually take a contact and contemplate his environment, however as an alternative he hit a first-time cross with pre-planned readability over Flick’s kamikaze excessive line, a trench dug inside an arm’s attain of the midway line, and Chelsea repeated the trick over and over.
Barcelona made an exquisite early probability when Ferran Torres slipped into the field and one way or the other contrived to bodge his shot vast of the far submit with solely Robert Sanchez to beat, however that was in regards to the sum of their attacking menace. Chelsea continued their technique of firing direct passes excessive they usually created some clear sights of purpose. Enzo twice had first-half objectives denied, rightly, first by Wesley Fofana’s handball within the build-up after which by an offside, earlier than Pedro Neto – taking part in as a No 9 – wasted an enormous alternative when Estevao slipped him by means of on purpose and the Portuguese tumbled off steadiness earlier than capturing over the bar.
Estevao fires a end previous Joan Garcia within the Barcelona purpose (Reuters)
However lastly the breakthrough got here when Barca slept on a brief nook – they’ve earlier for that specific crime within the Champions League. Cucurella’s low cross discovered Neto and a panicky Jules Kounde bundled the ball into his personal web. Ronald Araujo was booked for dissent a couple of minutes later and was despatched off moments earlier than half-time for clattering into Cucurella, so clearly a second yellow that he was marching to the pavilion earlier than Stamford Bridge had completed interesting.
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Etsevao added Chelsea’s second halfway by means of the second half as Chelsea dominated, earlier than Liam Delap got here off the bench so as to add the third.
Yamal’s evening ended within the 79th minute, trudging off the sphere and shaking his head as he pulled on a jacket. Estevao’s ended two minutes later to a standing ovation. This was arguably Chelsea’s greatest efficiency because the Membership World Cup last, on an evening after they confirmed what could be doable this season. Nevertheless it was additionally the evening when Estevao conjured reminiscences of Messi, and gained the battle of the 2 greatest 18-year-olds on this planet.