Chelsea Thrash Ten-Man Barcelona 3-0 in Champions League Statement Win

26 November 2025 – Chelsea delivered a commanding performance to defeat Barcelona 3-0 in the UEFA Champions League league phase at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, inflicting a heavy blow on the Catalan side’s hopes of automatic qualification.

The breakthrough came in the 32nd minute when Jules Koundé diverted a low Marc Cucurella cross into his own net under pressure from Cole Palmer. Barcelona’s task became mountainous eight minutes later as Ronald Araujo received a straight red card for denying Pedro Neto a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Chelsea capitalised early in the second half. In the 55th minute, 18-year-old Brazilian winger Estêvão Willian – making only his fourth start since his summer move from Palmeiras – collected a pass from Moisés Caicedo, cut inside and curled a precise left-footed shot into the far corner for his seventh goal in as many consecutive starts for club and country.

Enzo Maresca’s side controlled the remainder of the contest, with Caicedo and Palmer dominating midfield and Cucurella effectively neutralising Lamine Yamal. The result lifts Chelsea into the top eight of the new-look Champions League standings, while Barcelona drop outside the automatic spots with two matches remaining.