Wayne Rooney praised Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella for his outstanding display as he marked Lamine Yamal during Chelsea’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
In the lead-up to the match, Cucurella humorously suggested that his teammate Estêvão train with shin pads as he prepared for the challenge of facing Yamal. He lived up to that promise by closely shadowing the 18-year-old Spanish player, all while avoiding reckless tackles.
Rooney remarked on Amazon Prime, “Cucurella delivered an exemplary lesson on how to handle Lamine Yamal tonight. His performance was absolutely phenomenal, probably the best I’ve seen from a left-back in a long time. He demonstrated he is a serious player.”
Chelsea took an early lead in the 27th minute due to an own goal by Joules Koundé. Shortly before halftime, Ronald Araújo was shown a second yellow card, and Chelsea extended their advantage with an astonishing goal from Estêvão just 10 minutes after the break.
Liam Delap sealed the victory with a goal in the 73rd minute, but Estêvão’s spectacular strike was what caught most of the attention.
– Estêvão showcases Chelsea’s credentials in win over Barcelona
– Is Estêvão the next Messi? Chelsea coach suggests to take it easy
– Champions League recap: Chelsea dominates Barça
The match build-up had generated anticipation around the duel between Estêvão and Yamal, two promising 18-year-old wingers, with Estêvão emerging victorious, aided significantly by Cucurella’s efforts.
Following the match, Chelsea rose to fifth place in the league standings ahead of the following day’s fixtures, while Barcelona slipped to 15th.
Chelsea has now recorded three wins and a draw in the Champions League since their only defeat to Bayern Munich, who face Arsenal in Wednesday’s Premier League matchup.