Chelsea overpower Barcelona in Champions League, Manchester City suffer first loss
Chelsea secured a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Barcelona at home in the Champions League on Tuesday, as Pep Guardiolas rotated Manchester City side suffered their initial defeat of the season against Bayer Leverkusen.
In a matchup between the teams sitting second in the Premier League and La Liga respectively, Chelsea triumphed clearly with strikes from young prospect Estevao and substitute Liam Delap, following an own goal by Jules Kounde that handed the 2021 European champions an early advantage in the first half.
Barcelona were forced to continue with only 10 players for more than half the game after their skipper Ronald Araujo picked up two yellow cards just before the interval.
Both teams entered the fixture at Stamford Bridge eager to bounce back after recent setbacks, including Chelseas 2-2 draw against Qarabag and Barcas 3-3 stalemate with Club Brugge.
The result boosted Chelsea to fifth position in the league phase table with 10 points accumulated.
"This represents a significant triumph, particularly against an opponent like Barcelona," remarked Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
Following two goals ruled out for offside involving Enzo Fernandez, the home side broke the deadlock in the 27th minute.
From a short corner play, Marc Cucurella delivered a cross into the penalty area. Pedro Netos attempted deflection caused confusion among the Barcelona backline, leading to the unfortunate own goal by French defender Kounde.
The contest shifted dramatically in the 44th minute as Araujo earned his second caution for a reckless tackle on Cucurella.
Pre-match discussions focused heavily on the emerging talents from each squad, yet Chelseas Brazilian youngster Estevao outshone Barcas Spanish talent Lamine Yamal.
A brilliant individual effort from the teenage forward sealed the outcome for the English side, as he collected possession on the flank, evaded two markers, and rifled the ball into the top corner of Joan Garcias goal five minutes shy of the hour mark.
"Im struggling to find the right words for my emotions at this moment," Estevao shared with Amazon Prime. "It truly felt like an ideal evening."
Delap then ensured the points were safe when he scored in the 73rd minute.
A second loss dropped the Spanish outfit to 15th place, though Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick remained upbeat about their prospects for direct progression to the knockout rounds.
"Key squad members are returning soon, we have three fixtures left and nine points up for grabs," stated the German tactician.
Total accountability
Guardiola made unexpected changes by benching most of his key performers at the Etihad Stadium, excluding Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Gianluigi Donnarumma from the XI, resulting in a 2-0 reverse to Leverkusen for Manchester City.
This marked the teams first reversal of the term, following closely after their 2-1 Premier League loss to Newcastle on Saturday, leaving the 2023 champions on 10 points.
"I accept complete blame for this, although the starting lineup consisted of outstanding talents, we lacked that crucial edge required at the elite level," Guardiola commented.
"With matches every couple of days, rotations are necessary, but given the scoreline, perhaps we overdid it."
Although this setback may not derail their path to the knockout phase, it proved a sobering milestone in Guardiolas 100th European outing managing City.
Poor marking permitted Alex Grimaldo to open the scoring for the visitors in the 23rd minute, with Patrik Schick adding a header thirty minutes into the second period.
In southern France, Marseille overturned an initial strike from Ashley Barnes to defeat Newcastle 2-1, courtesy of a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the break.
Marseilles Mason Greenwood, who departed Manchester United amid claims of attempted rape and sexual assault that were later dismissed by authorities in February 2023, found himself contained by Newcastle during his initial encounter with English foes since those events.
A stoppage-time effort from Jonathan David clinched a 3-2 success for Italian powerhouse Juventus in the far north against Norways Bodo/Glimt.
Sondre Brunstad Fets 87th-minute spot-kick appeared to earn a third stalemate for the Champions League newcomers who remain without a victory, until the Canadian forward forced in the winner in the 91st minute.
Serhou Guirassy claimed two goals to help Borussia Dortmund rise to fourth with a 4-0 thrashing of 10-man Villarreal at the Westfalenstadion, even as the hosts squandered two penalties.
Napoli, the Serie A title holders, overcame Qarabag 2-0 on home soil, and Benfica matched that margin in their win over Ajax.
Belgiums Union Saint-Gilloise edged Galatasaray 1-0 on their travels, while Athletic Bilbao and Slavia Prague ended in a 0-0 deadlock.