Cliff Notes – Chelsea vs Barcelona: Rooney says Cucurella gave lesson vs Yamal
- Wayne Rooney praised Marc Cucurella’s exceptional performance in marking Lamine Yamal during Chelsea’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Barcelona.
- Chelsea’s win was highlighted by Estêvão’s stunning goal, contributing to their rise to fifth in the table, while Barcelona fell to 15th.
Chelsea vs. Barcelona: Rooney says Cucurella gave lesson vs. Yamal
Leonard Solms
CloseJack of all sporting trades. Author of my 11-year-old self’s fantasy story about his road to FIFA World Cup glory. Perfecting the art of writing about people who do what I said I was going to do.Nov 26, 2025, 09:38 AM
Wayne Rooney hailed Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella’s performance marking Lamine Yamal in 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Cucurella had joked in the build-up to the game that he had told Estêvão to train with shin pads as he prepared for how he would play against Yamal. Ironically, he stuck to his word and stuck to the heels of his 18-year-old Spain teammate, but without making reckless challenges.
“Cucurella’s given the best training lesson you could have for dealing with Lamine Yamal tonight,” Rooney told Amazon Prime.
“Cucurella was absolutely incredible, probably the best performance I’ve seen from a left-back for a long, long time. To do that tonight, he’s a serious player.”
Marc Cucurella kept Lamine Yamal quiet in Chelsea’s win over Barcelona on Tuesday. Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Chelsea took the lead in the 27th minute through a Joules Koundé own goal. Ronald Araújo was sent off via a second yellow card shortly before half-time and Chelsea compounded Barça’s misery 10 minutes after the break with an Estêvão stunner.
Liam Delap added the cherry on top with a 73rd minute strike to put the game beyond reach. However, it was the Brazilian teenager’s goal that would dominate headlines.
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The build-up to the match largely focused on the battle between Estêvão and Yamal — two 18-year-old wingers with the world at their feet — and the former won with plenty of help from Cucurella.
Chelsea moved up to fifth in the table ahead of Wednesday’s action, while Barça fell to 15th.
The Blues have picked up three wins and a draw in the Champions League since their solitary defeat to Bayern Munich — who will face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in Wednesday’s Premier League clash.