Kolkata: You can't fault Enzo Maresca for not trying. "Him and Lamine, if you start to talk about Messi and Ronaldo, it's too much pressure for young boys like them," the Chelsea head coach said about Brazilian teen Estevao after the 3-0 win against Barcelona. Well, good luck with that in the season that ends with the World Cup.
Especially after that goal. In the way he twisted Pau Cubarsi, muscled through two defenders, held off Alejandro Balde and generated explosive power with minimum back-lift, Estevao has ensured that Maresca's warning will not be heeded. Not by Stamford Bridge faithfuls, not by those hoping Brazil's 24-year wait for a World Cup will end next year and not by neutrals who saw the amalgamation of nimble feet, suppleness, strength and close control on a Champions League night.
Ahead of kick-off, X handles had clips of Messi doing his thing against Chelsea in February 2006, his first visit to England. On a pitch that looked very brown, Messi sent Arjen Robben down the wrong alley before being checked by Asier del Horno in a manner that got the full back sent off. His speed and skill took the turf out of the equation and once, he curled a shot into the framework. Long-haired, fresh-faced here was an 18-year-old right winger having fun.
Maybe the point was to show what Yamal could do in London for having fun is an impression he has conveyed en route a European title, a Nations League final and Barcelona's domestic treble last term. On Tuesday, Estevao did that against a 10-man Barcelona. Yamal was locked out of the Bridge by his Spain teammate, the irrepressible and energetic Marc Cucurella.
The home crowd roared when in the third minute he forced a corner-kick after trying to dribble his way in. Barcelona knew what Estevao is capable of so they tried to swarm the 18-year-old when he had the ball. Still, he produced a reverse pass for Pedro Neto, kept a move alive by moving infield and playing wide to Alejandro Garnacho, latched on to a Cubarsi mis-kick and beat one player before being blocked by another and had to be felled by Eric Garcia after the defender had been turned the wrong way. Estevao was involved in seven attacking sequences, the most by any player on the night. "The perfect night," he said.
His goal, which came in the 55th minute and was on either side of a Jules Kounde own goal (27th minute) and Liam Delap's strike (73rd), took Estevao to a club of three that also has Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe as teens who have scored in their first three Champions League starts. Estevao also has goals against Ajax - where he had also attempted a scissors-kick that narrowly missed the mark - and Qarabag. This was his fourth goal in four starts at Chelsea and earlier in month, he scored for Brazil against Tunisia and Senegal.
He is the kind of player who should be enjoyed, Thierry Henry said on Sky Sports. Hopefully, the flair player will not be coached out of his natural game, the former France and Arsenal star said. "It doesn't have to be scripted all the time."
Of all the players Chelsea signed in the summer, Estevao was the least talked about. He had scored for Brazil champions Palmeiras against Chelsea in the Club World Cup but by then the €52m deal had been agreed upon. Maresca has tried to ease him in, giving him four starts in the Premier League but using him as a substitute in six games, often against tiring full backs.
"We are trying to help him adapt and give him the right minutes," the Italian has said. Estevao has yet to finish a Premier League match but scored a late goal against defending champions Liverpool.
Estevao headlined a match where Chelsea were so superior that a running nose would be the least of Hansi Flick's problems after Barcelona's fourth defeat in their last 10 matches in all competitions. Maresca's ploy to get Neto to play centrally, after using him as a wide midfielder against Burnley, worked as he kept exploiting Barcelona's high line. As did Delap whose arrival got Neto to shift wide.
Cucurella's inversion into midfield fetched a goal at the weekend but on Tuesday, he blunted Barcelona's most creative force. And contributed to Ronald Araujo's red card. The Barcelona captain's first booking was for dissent at Yamal not being awarded a foul by Cucurella, the second was for running through the left-back in the 44th minute.
Moises Caicedo snuffing out moves and being helped in running the midfield by Enzo Fernandes, Reece James and Andrey Santos when James switched to right-back meant Barcelona couldn't trouble Robert Sanchez till Marcus Rashford's attempt in the 81st minute. The Club World Cup champions are in revival mode alright and it led to their biggest win against Barcelona.