LONDON.- He Chelsea exhibited his status as world champion by beating with authority (3-0) the Barcelonawith ten men throughout the second half due to the expulsion of their captain Ronald Araújothis Tuesday at Stamford Bridge in the main duel of the fifth day of the Champions League.
The “Blues” went ahead with an own goal from Jules Koundé (27′) and they sentenced with a whiplash Estevão (55′) against a Barcelona unable to keep up with one less player. Liam Delap He scored the third (73′).
With this defeat, Barça remains out of the Top-8 – direct classification to the round of 16 – while Chelsea, with ten points, is just behind the leading trio; Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter (12), who play on Wednesday.
“It has been complicated, hard, with one less we tried to get what we had inside, but they have clarity and found the spaces very well,” said the Barça goalkeeper. Joan Garcia.
Cucurella, the smartest in the class
Two starters in the European champion Spanish team in 2024 were mentioned on the band. Lamine Yamal I didn’t have it easy with the job of Marc Cucurellakey from an a priori secondary role in the victory of the “Blues”.
He participated in the two actions that led to Araújo’s expulsion: the Uruguayan captain saw his first yellow card for protesting an alleged foul by the left back on Yamal and the second for a harsh tackle on the English defender himself.
As if that were not enough, the first local goal came in a rogue action by the Barcelona-trained player, who gained the back of the Barça defense, asked it into space and served the heart of the area: Ferran Torres and Koundé ended up making a mess to score an own goal after the Portuguese’s shot Pedro Neto.
First stretch of madness
At Stamford Bridge, with the atmosphere of the great European evenings, the duel had begun vibrantly, to the rhythm of the Premier Leagueback and forth football, without pause, a delicious exchange of blows for the spectator.
In this first stretch of madness, Barcelona was able to strike the first blow. After a robbery of Frenkie De JongYamal found a way to leave Torres alone, who shot wide into practically an empty goal against a Robert Sanchez which had already been defeated (5′).
For Chelsea, its double world champion – clubs and national teams -, the Argentine Enzo Fernandezeven celebrated two goals that were annulled: by a handball Wesley Fofana (4′) and offside (23′).
Without making blood
In the second part, with Marcus Rashford In the place of the unfortunate Torres, a Barcelona with ten players needed a feat to take something positive from London.
The attempted comeback did not start well for the Blaugranas, who collected another ball from their goal (50′), a goal from the newcomer Andrew Santos disallowed for offside Alejandro Garnachowho had given the pass of death.
If Chelsea’s pace was already difficult to follow on equal terms, with numerical inferiority it became torture.
The world champion pushed and it was his new pearl, Estêvão, who signed the sentence: the 18-year-old left-hander made a suit for Pau Cubarsiendured before Alejandro Balde and scored into the top corner with his bad leg.
Faced with an impossible mission, Barcelona showed almost no signs of life against a Chelsea team that added the third, but forgave a bigger win.
