Nobody ever forgets the place they have been the primary time they noticed Lionel Messi play dwell.
In my case, it was right here in west London on a Wednesday evening in February 2006. Messi was nonetheless solely 18 that evening when he got here out within the colors of Barcelona. He had lengthy hair, magic toes and an unmistakable aura of greatness.
Messi was untouchable that evening. By authorized means, anyway. The one reply Chelsea needed to him was to attempt to kick him out of the sport.
Once I appeared to my proper from this press field, in direction of the Matthew Harding Stand, I might nonetheless see Chelsea full again Asier del Horno kicking Messi up into the air close to the nook flag within the thirty sixth minute and being despatched off. A few of the one-eyed claimed, laughably, he was play-acting. ‘Canine Messi,’ one headline mentioned the subsequent day.
An epiphany like that by no means fades. You always remember seeing a genius in bloom and realising you might be within the presence of one thing extraordinary. And even when it was one 12 months earlier, you always remember seeing a aim like Ronaldinho’s swivel-hipped toe-poke in a 4-2 Chelsea victory on the Bridge in March 2005.
It’s genius that underpins this nice trendy rivalry between these two sides, a rivalry that has solely developed because the introduction of the Champions League, a rivalry that has survived even Uefa’s inadvertent makes an attempt to strip the early levels of the competitors of all its jeopardy.
Estevao scored the choose of Chelsea’s three targets on the evening with a shocking solo effort
Liam Delap added a 3rd to cap off an excellent evening for Enzo Maresca’s aspect at Stamford Bridge
There may be nonetheless pleasure on this fixture. There may be nonetheless pleasure in strolling up the steps out of the underground station at Fulham Broadway and wandering down the Fulham Street to Stamford Bridge when Barcelona are taking part in right here and the heirs to Messi and Ronaldinho, and to Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, are ranged towards one another.
There was the identical sense of anticipation about this evening as there was that evening in 2006. It was billed as a battle of the wonderkids. Fathers pointed their sons in direction of Lamine Yamal, 18, as he warmed up in entrance of the Shed Finish and bade them take his image so they may show they have been right here to see him play.
Others rejoiced when the groups have been learn out and Estevao, Chelsea’s boy from Brazil, who is identical age as Messi was all these years in the past when he first performed right here, was named within the Chelsea beginning eleven.
The primary time Estevao bought the ball on the Chelsea proper, he took on his man and received a nook, the gang rose as one and cheered him uproariously and urged him on. That was the flank the place Messi had tormented Del Horno.
Nonetheless, amid all that expertise, the primary probability of the evening got here from a mistake. Reece James misplaced the ball on the sting of his personal space within the sixth minute and when the ball was labored to Ferran Torres, he had the aim at his mercy. He clipped his shot vast. On the touchline, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick turned away sharply in disbelief.
On the different finish, Enzo Fernandez had two targets disallowed, one for a handball, the opposite for offside, and Pedro Neto spurned a one-on-one probability with Joan Garcia. By halfway via the half, Chelsea have been very a lot on high.
Enzo Maresca’s aspect lastly bought a bit of luck within the twenty seventh minute when Marc Cucurella ran at his man on the proper and fired in a cross that induced havoc within the Barcelona six-yard field. It was one thing of a comedy because the ball ricocheted between Torres and Kounde earlier than Kounde managed a ultimate inadvertent flick that nudged it over the road.
Yamal’s class was evident within the intelligence of his contact however the fact is, this was not his evening. The truth is, he had a depressing evening, marked out of the sport by the brilliance of Cucurella, who was excellent from begin to end within the midst of a Chelsea efficiency that was irresistible.
Jules Kounde’s weird personal aim within the twenty seventh minute gave Maresca’s males a deserved lead
Ronald Araujo was despatched off for a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time
It was not Lamine Yamal’s evening as he misplaced out to Estevao within the battle of the wonderkids
Delap scores Chelsea’s third because the Blues made Barcelona pay for his or her excessive line of defense
Profitable the Membership World Cup is one factor however destroying Barcelona, even a Barcelona lowered to 10 males for greater than half the sport, is one thing else. Surging within the Premier League, Chelsea are instantly a aspect alive with prospects.
When Yamal hit one shot tamely at Robert Sanchez, the Shed advised to him, in as many phrases, that he was not a patch on Estevao. Estevao, because it turned out, was ready to ship his signature second.
Barcelona’s evening grew worse a minute earlier than half time when their skipper, Ronald Araujo, was despatched off for a second bookable offence, a mistimed deal with on Cucurella. His first warning had been for dissent. It was one of the best half of soccer Chelsea had performed all season.
Marcus Rashford got here on at half-time, Maresca was booked for protesting a call that went towards Cucurella, Cucurella continued to maintain Yamal in his again pocket. After which Estevao stepped up.
Ten minutes of the second half had gone when he bought the ball on the sting of the Barcelona space. He ran at Pau Cabarsi and weaved inside him. Then he stepped away from Alejandro Balde and rifled an unstoppable shot excessive into the roof of the online. It was an electrical second. It was one other second of arrival.
His shot was timed at 64mph. It was a thunderbolt of a drive and a strike that shouted out that there’s a lot extra to return from this ahead of whom so, a lot is predicted.
Chelsea’s evening was nonetheless not over. Fernandez flirted with offside as soon as extra however stayed the proper aspect of the legislation and performed a easy ball throughout the field for substitute Liam Delap to slip the ball previous Garcia to finish a 3-0 win.
Eleven minutes from the tip, Barcelona put Yamal out of his distress by changing him. He walked dejectedly to the bench, muttering to himself and shaking his head. A couple of minutes later, Estevao was substituted, too. The bottom rose to him and he acknowledged their adoration.
And so soccer’s world turns and one other star is born.
