Marc Cucurella has outlined Chelsea’s strategy for their Champions League match against his former team Barcelona, focusing on the physical battle and containing the dangerous Lamine Yamal.
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has outlined the immense challenge posed by Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash, according to a report from Barça Blaugranes.
The left-back, who is expected to directly confront the young right winger, acknowledged Yamal’s “special talent” but stressed that stopping him will be a collective effort.
Cucurella, who played in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, spoke highly of his Spain international teammate, comparing him to Chelsea’s own young Brazilian talent, Estevão Willian.
“Both of them are very special players, they have a lot of talent, they always want the ball and take on defenders one-on-one,” Cucurella stated, adding that “They are these players that can decide the game.”
The key to victory, Cucurella suggested, is to avoid focusing solely on the individual duel. He insisted, “Tomorrow is not Lamine vs Cucurella. It’s a big game, we have my teammates try to help me, and we try to have a big game, because we want to win this game.”
He also humorously revealed that he has been using Estevão in training to prepare, joking, “Yeah, Estevao, I tell him to put shin pads on in training because I start to train (for Yamal) with him.”
The defender emphasized that while it will be a “tough battle,” the team’s combined effort is what matters.