Chelsea Thrashes Barcelona 3-0; City Suffers First Defeat of Season

Chelsea secured a commanding 3-0 victory against a ten-man Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Manchester City, under the management of Pep Guardiola, suffered their first defeat of the campaign, losing 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen.

The match between Chelsea and Barcelona featured two teams currently sitting in second place in their respective leagues, with Chelsea in the Premier League and Barcelona in La Liga. The hosts took the lead in the first half following a Jules Kounde own goal. Chelsea’s Estevao, an 18-year-old rising star, further sealed the win with a stunning goal in the second half, while Liam Delap added another to finish the scoring.

Barcelona, who played over half the match with ten players after the dismissal of captain Ronald Araujo for two yellow cards just before half-time, struggled to find their rhythm. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed pride in the performance, emphasizing the significance of beating a team like Barcelona.

The game’s opening goal came in the 27th minute when a well-executed short corner led to Kounde inadvertently redirecting the ball into his own net after a flick attempt by Chelsea’s Pedro Neto. The match drastically shifted in the 44th minute, when Araujo’s foul on Marc Cucurella earned him a second yellow card.

Estevao’s moment of brilliance came shortly after the hour mark. He received the ball on the right side, evaded two defenders, and unleashed a powerful shot into the net. Estevao described the evening as “the perfect night” in an interview with Amazon Prime. Delap then capped off the scoring in the 73rd minute, ensuring Chelsea’s place in the competition with this vital win, placing them fifth in the league phase standings with 10 points.

In contrast, Manchester City’s match at the Etihad Stadium ended poorly. Guardiola made the unexpected decision to rest several key players, including Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva, leading to a surprising defeat. City conceded first to Alex Grimaldo in the 23rd minute, followed by a second goal from Patrik Schick half an hour later.

Reflecting on the loss, Guardiola stated, “I take full responsibility.” He acknowledged that the players who started the match were capable but noted that they lacked essential elements needed to compete at the highest level. City remains on 10 points in their group but will need to reassess their strategy moving forward.

Across Europe, other significant matches unfolded as well. In France, Marseille overcame an early deficit to beat Newcastle 2-1, thanks to two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Meanwhile, Juventus snatched a 3-2 victory against Bodo/Glimt with a last-minute goal from Jonathan David.

Overall, the Champions League continues to showcase intense competition, with teams vying for crucial points as they aim for progression in the tournament. Both Chelsea and Manchester City will need to regroup and prepare for their upcoming matches as the group stage progresses.