The clash between the English and Spanish heavyweights was billed as the standout tie of Champions League matchday five, with fans expecting a tightly contested encounter. ..Continue Reading
But after Ferran Torres missed an early chance to put Barcelona ahead, Chelsea took control and dominated proceedings—even before Ronald Araujo’s dismissal just before the break.
An own goal from Jules Kounde opened the scoring for Chelsea before Estevao Willian and Liam Delap added to the tally in a match where Maresca’s men also had three goals ruled out.
Speaking to Amazon Prime post-match, Maresca acknowledged that he had instructed his players to follow a clear plan to disrupt Barcelona’s rhythm.
The Italian said: “It is a good win. To be honest, it was no more than that. We knew how important this game was, but they are all important games. When you beat Barcelona, it is always nice so we are happy today.
“We dropped points at Qarabag away, then we won against Benfica and Ajax, then we lost the last one against Bayern Munich. That shows all of these games are complicated.”
“Barcelona are a team that feel comfortable when they have the ball. If they don’t have the ball, they don’t feel comfortable so we tried to keep the ball. Even 11v11, my feeling was very good because the team was playing well.
“The defensive part is always important because you need balance. Fortunately, in the last month, we have started finishing games with clean sheets in the Premier League. It’s something you need to do if you want to achieve important things.”
With Araujo’s sending-off tipping the balance further, Chelsea ended the match with 55.5% possession and 35 touches inside the box, while Barcelona failed to register a single corner and managed just nine touches in the area.
Although Chelsea are expected to slip down the League Phase standings after Wednesday’s fixtures, Maresca will be pleased with their current fifth-place position and 10 points from five matches.
Securing a top-eight finish remains the goal, with away trips to Atalanta BC and Napoli still to come, along with a home clash against Pafos.
One more victory would confirm a top-24 finish, but Chelsea are aiming higher to avoid the playoff round.
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