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Chelsea delivered one of their most commanding performances of the season on Tuesday night as they cruised to a 3–0 victory over FC Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League League Stage Round 5 clash at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues controlled the game from start to finish, exploiting Barcelona’s defensive lapses and numerical disadvantage to secure three crucial points and keep their qualification hopes alive.
Barcelona thought they had taken an early lead in the 4th minute when Enzo Fernández found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The Argentine midfielder had another strike disallowed in the 22nd minute, and Chelsea survived the early scare. Barcelona struggled to maintain composure, and that lack of discipline would later haunt them.
Chelsea finally broke the deadlock in the 27th minute thanks to an unfortunate own goal from Jules Koundé. The French defender attempted to clear a dangerous ball into the box, but his touch wrong-footed goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, handing the Blues a 1–0 lead.
Barcelona’s evening went from bad to worse when Ronald Araújo received a yellow card for arguing in the 32nd minute before picking up a second booking just 12 minutes later for a foul on Malo Gusto, earning him an early dismissal. The red card left Xavi’s men with a mountain to climb.
Chelsea came out stronger in the second half, and their pressure paid off instantly. In the 51st minute, Andrey Santos saw his goal ruled out, but the Blues kept pushing. Four minutes later, wonderkid Estevão doubled Chelsea’s advantage after receiving a well-timed assist from captain Reece James. The young Brazilian calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to make it 2–0.
Barcelona made several substitutions in an attempt to regain control, including Marcus Rashford replacing Ferran Torres and Alejandro Garnacho coming on earlier.
But it was Chelsea who struck again. In the 73rd minute, Liam Delap finished off an excellent pass from Enzo Fernández to extend the lead to 3–0. The celebration was short-lived, however, as VAR reviewed and briefly flagged the goal as conceded, but the decision eventually stood.
Barcelona’s late changes including Raphinha replacing Lewandowski and Dani Olmo coming on for Lamine Yamal failed to alter the momentum. Chelsea manager relied on fresh legs as well, introducing Jamie Gittens, J. Acheampong, Andrey Santos, and T. George in the closing stages.
Stats reflected Chelsea’s superiority: 56% possession, 15 shots, and 456 completed passes compared to Barcelona’s 418. The hosts dominated duels, created more chances, and handled the game with maturity.
With this win, Chelsea climb further up their group standings and send a clear warning to Europe’s elite, while Barcelona are left with questions about discipline, tactical organisation, and mental resilience after a disappointing night in London.
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