Chelsea delivered a dominant 3-0 win against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League at Stamford Bridge, with goals from an own goal by Jules Kounde, a stunning solo effort by Estevao, and a finish from Liam Delap. The match saw Barcelona reduced to 10 men after Ronald Araujo's red card just before halftime. Estevao's performance highlighted Chelsea's rising young talent in a statement result.
Chelsea hosted Barcelona in a crucial UEFA Champions League league phase match on November 25, 2025, at Stamford Bridge, aiming to climb the standings after a recent draw. The Blues started strongly, creating early chances but seeing two goals from Enzo Fernandez disallowed for handball and offside in the opening half-hour.
In the 27th minute, Chelsea broke the deadlock through a Jules Kounde own goal. Marc Cucurella's low cross caused chaos in the Barcelona box, and after Pedro Neto's attempted flick, the ball deflected off Kounde's feet and trickled over the line. Moments later, Barcelona's captain Ronald Araujo received a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Cucurella, leaving the visitors with 10 men just before halftime.
Key Moments
The second half saw Chelsea capitalize on their numerical advantage. In the 55th minute, 18-year-old Estevao produced a moment of magic, picking up the ball on the right, jinking past two defenders, and firing an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net for 2-0. Substitute Liam Delap sealed the win in the 73rd minute, tapping in after Alejandro Garnacho beat the offside trap to set him up.
Estevao, speaking to Amazon Prime post-match, called it the 'best moment' of his career: 'I don’t really have any words to sum up how I’m feeling right now. It really was the perfect night.' Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praised the performance: 'It's a good win, no more than that... It's a huge night for the whole club.' Barcelona's Hansi Flick reflected: 'We had to score the first goal... but we lost too many balls under pressure.'
The result moved Chelsea to fifth in the standings with 10 points from five games, their biggest-ever win over Barcelona. Barcelona slipped to 15th with seven points, at risk of missing automatic qualification. Estevao became the third teenager to score in his first three Champions League starts, joining Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
