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Estevao lights up Chelsea’s Champions League statement against 10-man Barcelona - reaction

Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona: Estevao scored a stunning goal as the Blues made some Champions League history of their own

Lawrence Ostlere
at Stamford Bridge
,Chris Wilson
Wednesday 26 November 2025 02:00 EST
Comments
Watching Estevao, Yamal and Pedri is a treat for football purists - Maresca

Chelsea’s 18-year-old wonderkid Estevao lit up their 3-0 win over Barcelona with a stunning goal as the Blues made a Champions League statement with their biggest ever win against their Catalan rivals.

Estevao dribbled past Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi before thumping an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net to score the second of Chelsea’s goals and the pick of the bunch. The Brazilian won his battle with Barcelona’s own 18-year-old superstar Lamine Yamal, and joined Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland by becoming just the third teenager to score in his first three Champions League appearances.

Barcelona’s chances were heavily dented by Ronald Araujo’s rash sending off on the stroke of half-time, with the centre-back dismissed for a wild lunge on Marc Cucurella while on a yellow card. Pedro Neto had scrambled Chelsea into a deserved lead, on a night where Enzo Maresca’s side also had three goals disallowed, with Enzo Fernandez twice denied by first a handball and then an offside.

But Chelsea finally beat Barcelona’s high-line and bold offside trap as Fernandez squared for Liam Delap to add the third, a result that takes Chelsea into the top-eight of the Champions League league standings.

Follow reaction from Chelsea v Barcelona below:

Estevao on his goal against Barcelona

"It all happened very quickly for me, it sort of happened before I knew it. I just found some space, wiggled my way through and then scored that goal. It was such a special moment for me in my career. I hope to score many more.

"It was definitely the best moment of my career so far. I want to score many more for many years. I'm so grateful that my family were here watching me."

(AFP via Getty Images)
Jamie Braidwood26 November 2025 07:00

Estevao outshines Lamine Yamal and conjures Messi memories as Chelsea crush Barcelona in Champions League

Lamine Yamal and Estevao are both 18, both possess a magical left foot and both are already at home on the Champions League stage. They have another thing in common: Yamal has spent most of his young life being compared to Lionel Messi, pre-ordained as Barcelona’s next legendary figure at only 14 years old; Estevao was dubbed “Messinho” when he first emerged at Brazilian club Palmeiras.

Both have understandably tried to shun the comparison and yet there were flickers of a famous Messi goal here at Stamford Bridge.

Estevao outshines Yamal and conjures Messi memories as Chelsea crush Barcelona

Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona: Estevao scored a brilliant solo goal on a night when perhaps the two best 18-year-olds in world football shared the same pitch
Lawrence Ostlere, at Stamford Bridge26 November 2025 07:00

In pics: Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Chris Wilson26 November 2025 06:00

Champions League fixtures

Here’s a list of today’s Champions League fixtures then:

Pafos vs Monaco - 5.45pm

Copenhagen vs Kairat - 5.45pm

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich

Liverpool vs PSV

PSG vs Tottenham

Olympiacos vs Real Madrid

Sporting vs Club Brugge

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Atalanta

Atletico Madrid vs Inter

Chris Wilson26 November 2025 05:00

Match stats

Estêvão (18y 215d) is the third teenager to score in each of his first three Champions League starts, after Kylian Mbappé (18y 113d) and Erling Haaland (19y 107d).

(Getty Images)
Chris Wilson26 November 2025 04:00

Match stats

The win last night means the Blues have earned their biggest margin of victory over Barcelona in the Champions League while becoming just the third side to beat them at least five times in the competition after Bayern Munich (10) and Paris Saint-Germain (6).

Chris Wilson26 November 2025 03:00

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang punishes Nick Pope to steal Champions League win from Newcastle

And the report from Newcastle’s loss...

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dented Newcastle’s Champions Leaguecharge as Marseille came from behind to claim their second win of the campaign.

The Magpies led 1-0 at the Velodrome courtesy of Harvey Barnes’ sixth-minute opener, his third goal in four days after his match-winning double against Manchester City, and were good value for it.

However, they were undone inside five second half minutes when 36-year-old former Arsenal frontman Aubameyang first capitalised on an error by goalkeeper Nick Pope to level and then stabbed the Ligue 1 side ahead amid a much-improved display to snatch a 2-1 victory.

Aubameyang punishes Pope to steal Champions League win from Newcastle

Marseille 1-2 Newcastle: The Magpies led at the Velodrome through Harvey Barnes’ early goal before Aubameyang struck
Chris Wilson26 November 2025 02:00

Pep Guardiola’s milestone Champions League night falls flat and he only has himself to blame

The report from City’s loss to Leverkusen...

There are ways to bring up a century. This was scarcely the most fitting. Pep Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game in charge of Manchester City ranked as one of the worst. And for that, he really only has himself to blame.

City were beaten by managerial complacency and their own lacklustre display as well as by a rather impressive Bayer Leverkusen side. As the teams third in the Premier League and the Bundesliga met, Guardiola picked his second-string side. They came off second best. It was a gamble that backfired, and one that felt all the odder as their next fixture is against out-of-form Leeds. Did he really rest his regulars just for a relegation-threatened team? Because the consequences of a shock setback could involve a spot in the knockout play-off round that City had looked on course to bypass.

Pep Guardiola’s milestone night falls flat and he only has himself to blame

Manchester City 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen: On his 100th game in charge in the competition, Guardiola picked his second-string side and watched as they were beaten by managerial complacency
Chris Wilson26 November 2025 01:00

Champions League fixtures

Here’s a list of tomorrow’s Champions League fixtures then:

Pafos vs Monaco - 5.45pm

Copenhagen vs Kairat - 5.45pm

Arsenal vs Bayern Munich

Liverpool vs PSV

PSG vs Tottenham

Olympiacos vs Real Madrid

Sporting vs Club Brugge

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Atalanta

Atletico Madrid vs Inter

Chris Wilson26 November 2025 00:00

'It has been an incredible night'

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana had this to say to Amazon after full-time:

"It has been an incredible night. We played very well and we stuck to the plan the manager explained to us. We just follow the manager's instructions because we trust him. We know Barcelona play very high so we tried to play with this in mind. We are very happy."

Chris Wilson25 November 2025 23:40

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