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Each move Lamine Yamal performs oozes excellence. On occasions where he is walking about seeming dejected, which he demonstrated often at Stamford Bridge, he does it with the casual grace of a top player. He softly controls the ball rather than hitting it, generating extraordinary power from minimal back-lift. He plays on the balls of his feet, always aware, consistently able to go either way. He slides rather than sprints, but does so at pace. He has already ended up as runner-up in the Ballon d’Or. But he was not the finest 18-year-old right-sided forward on the pitch on Tuesday, nowhere near.

Emerging Talent Estevao Makes His Imprint

In Estevao, recruited from Palmeiras for a fee that could rise to £52m, Chelsea have recruited a player who could turn out as one of the elite. He has been making more and more of an impact since getting the late winner against Liverpool last month. His previous four starts for Chelsea have brought four goals, and he also found the net in both of Brazil’s friendlies during the international break. It’s just the beginning, but Brazil may finally have found the player they keenly wanted to have secured in Neymar.

Estêvão amazing goal lights up Chelsea’s dominant win over 10-man Barcelona

Estevao's goal, scored after 55 minutes to completely seal a win that hadn’t really been in doubt from the moment the Barcelona captain was dismissed just before half-time, was a exemplary. In part, it was about Chelsea winning the ball back and Reece James’s pass, but mainly it was about the Brazilian sprinting at terrifying speed, deceiving left and right, brushing off opponents and driving a shot high past the goalkeeper.

Head-to-Head Duel and Powerful Advantage

The slogan of “You’re just a poor Estevao,” directed at Lamine Yamal may have been overly harsh on the Spaniard, and may not have rhymed, but there was no doubting which of the two had triumphed.

Estevao is 80 days older and has played 22 games fewer but at the moment he looks a more durable player – and regular Premier League experience is only likely to enhance that.

It’s been a characteristic of the Champions League this season just how much of a physical edge Premier League teams have over their European rivals. Liverpool have faced difficulties physically in the Premier League this season but outpowered Real Madrid. Newcastle beat Athletic Bilbao essentially by having some bigger blokes to attack balls in the box.

And Chelsea, after some shaky moments in the opening quarter, by the midway point of the first half had taken control on Barcelona. The ploy of using Pedro Neto and his pace through the middle was convincingly validated.

Restart Expertise and Defensive Toughness

The opener had felt close for at least five minutes before it materialized. It was no major surprise it came from a set play, an area of the game in which it seems like Premier League clubs are operating with precious stones while the rest of the world is still using ordinary items. Barcelona can’t score a regular own goal, of course, but have to embellish it with a short pass in a tight space and a skillful move. However elaborate the finish, though, the cause was a slick interchange from a corner that opened up space for a Chelsea player to cross for a teammate.

But the advantage doesn’t just show from an goal-scoring point of view. Lamine Yamal got the better of Marc Cucurella only occasionally and seemed at times shocked, perhaps even demoralized by a couple of tackles.

That irritation would have major consequences as it led to Lamine Yamal falling over the defender's leg in an attempt to win a free-kick, which in turn led to Araújo being cautioned for his protests. When the defender – remained angry? Aware of his side’s limitations? Beaten? – dived at Cucurella a few minutes later the outcome was inevitable and virtually decided the game.

Game Plan Contrasts and Final Result

Perhaps Barcelona could have dug in, protected in a defensive formation and tried to snatch something on the break, as Everton had done at Manchester United on Monday, but it’s hard to imagine two managers more different in attitude than David Moyes and Hansi Flick.

A team organized to defend with a line as high as Barcelona’s really has few options when they are diminished to 10. They retreated a bit, but Chelsea still kept pushing into the space behind the back line, scored a third from a substitute and, if they’d really needed to, could probably have scored a couple more.

It’s only the opening round and things can shift in the spring as built-up fatigue begins to sap at English sides but the tendency of Premier League supremacy through speed and power is evident.

Lamine Yamal was substituted with 10 minutes to go, walking to the bench with a sense of regretful acceptance, pursued by a few of half-hearted jeers. But there was no need to taunt him; the battle was already finished and definitively so. Estevao, the obvious victor, exited the pitch to a ecstatic ovation three minutes later. His were the honours, and Chelsea’s the win.