Chelsea and Barcelona were both seeking a crucial win in the UEFA Champions League as they faced off at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Fans expected these two storied clubs to offer a tremendous contest. But that wasn’t really the case.
Chelsea dominated from the get-go, earning a great opportunity after a near scoring chance, while Barcelona struggled to maintain possession in Chelsea territory.
The first half was littered with great chances for Chelsea, and although they only came out of the first 45 with one tally, they put themselves in a great position to extend their lead, especially after Barca’s Araujo suffered a red card near the end of the first half.
Playing a man down in the second half, Chelsea absolutely dominated the final 45, tallying two more goals. It could’ve been much worse, but regardless, a win of this magnitude puts the rest of the UEFA Champions League on watch.
Here are the highlights from Chelsea’s massive 3-0 win.
FINAL: Chelsea 3, FC Barcelona 0
From the get-go, this game was all Chelsea, and it could’ve been much worse. A few handballs and offsides and near-misses could’ve made this a four or five goal game rather than the three-goal differential that it wound up being.
19-year-old Brazilian phenom Estevao was certainly a standout in this game, scoring Chelsea’s second goal of the game and proving that he can succeed at the highest levels.
This was certainly a statement win for Chelsea. Everyone expected a close game, but this wasn’t much of a challenge for Chelsea. They were the better team for 90 minutes.
GOAL: Delap (75′); Chelse 3, FC Barcelona 0
Chelsea’s remarkable play is being rewarded in the second half. They have been perfect with their through balls, and this goal was no different. After thinking they were offsides, Chelsea’s goal was upheld after the initial through ball spurred a massive 2-on-1 that resulted in an easy goal for Delap.
It’s 3-0 and Barcelona would need a miracle at this point.
GOAL: Estevao (55′); Chelsea 2, FC Barcelona 0
Chelsea is making the most of their opportunities in the second half it seems. Just ten minutes into the half, Chelsea has found the back of the net yet again, thanks to the 19-year-old Brazilian phenom, Estevao. It’s 2-0.
New half, same gameplay
Well, if Barcelona fans were hoping the halftime break would give them some momentum, it appears Chelsea is not letting it happen. Just six minutes into the second half, Chelsea had yet another strong opportunity on goal when a cross into the middle of the box landed directly on Enzo Fernandez’s foot.
His shot would beat the Barca keeper for Chelsea’s second goal of the game…or it would have had the crosser not been offsides. It was a bit of a delayed call from the line judge, but the result was the same, another goal called back for Chelsea, their third of the game. It remains 1-0.
HALF: Chelsea 1, FC Barcelona 0
This was not the half you wanted to see if you’re a Barcelona fan. Chelsea was swarming all half long, and Barca is lucky they only trail by one. While Barcelona did have a good opportunity early on, almost every other scoring chance belonged to Chelsea. Every cross seems to find a Chelsea forward and if not for a few key blocks, misses, saves, and even a handball, Chelsea could be up by two or three.
Barcelona will need to start mounting a more serious attack if they want any hope of catching Chelsea. If the second half is anything like the first though, this game could get ugly quick. And that could be a difficult ask, considering Barca’s Araujo suffered a red card in the 44th minute. Barcelona will be a man down for the full second half, making it that much easier to hold their one-goal lead.
GOAL: Jules Kounde OG (27′); Chelsea 1, FC Barcelona 0
After a terrific attack from Chelsea, the team was awarded a corner kick. From the corner, Chelsea’s Cucurella found a blind spot past the Barcelona defense, and although even the analysts were unsure if he was offsides, his cross into the middle of Barca’s box found a sea of legs. Originally, it was Pedro Neto who angled the cross toward the Barcelona goal. Originally, it was blocked, but in all the confusion, Barcelona’s Jules Kounde knocked the ball into his own goal.
Chelsea leads 1-0.
Barca with a near-miss of their own
Less than two minutes after Chelsea’s goal was overturned, Barcelona had a great chance of their own. No handballs. No offsides, just a 1-on-1 with Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez. Unfortunately for Barca, that chance would skate by with a shot wide right of the goal.
Although both teams have had excellent chances, this contest remains knotted at 0-0.
Chelsea nearly takes ealy lead
It was a quick start for Chelsea, who took advantage of Barcelona’s soft defense off a corner kick. A cross from Garnacho was defended poorly by Barca, allowing Chelsea’s attackers to have good looks at the net, including a shot from Enzo Fernandez that wound up in the goal. However, a handball in the midst of the scrum for the ball would disallow the goal. This one remains scoreless.
How to watch Chelsea vs Barcelona
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 25
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Stream: Paramount+
Location: Stamford Bridge (London)