Bayer Leverkusen Suffer 2-0 Loss to Chelsea Debutant Estevao Shines for Club World Cup title holders
In a promising display of talent, 18-year-old Brazilian winger Estêvão Willian made his first start for Chelsea in a pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen. The highly-rated youngster, who joined the Blues from Palmeiras for £29m (€34m) earlier this summer, has been hailed as one of the best young football talents globally.
Despite the lack of specific match data from the friendly, Estêvão's performance against Bayer Leverkusen was undoubtedly impressive. He recorded the game-high totals for shots, touches in the opposition box, and attempted dribbles, demonstrating his eagerness to make an impact in his new club.
The youngster opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 18th minute, capitalising on a rebound from Cole Palmer's effort off the crossbar. Estevao's performance was not without chances, as he had another opportunity to score just after the hour mark, only to miss wide of the target.
Chelsea's dominance was evident in the match, with their expected goals (xG) total of 1.83 from their 24 shots significantly higher than Leverkusen's xG total of 0.22 from their four attempts. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken made several smart saves for Bayer Leverkusen to prevent them from going further behind, but his efforts were in vain as Joao Pedro sealed the 2-0 win for Chelsea in the 90th minute.
Estevao's display against Bayer Leverkusen has left Chelsea supporters eager for more, with many believing he is set to take the Premier League by storm. His performance against the German side has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi and Neymar due to his maturity, game intelligence, and decision-making.
As Chelsea prepare for their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on August 17, they will face AC Milan in their final pre-season match. With Estevão's promising start to his Chelsea career, fans will be looking forward to seeing more of the young Brazilian's talent in the coming season.
Estevao's performance against Bayer Leverkusen has ignited anticipation among Chelsea supporters, as they eagerly await his impact in the Premier League. Reminiscent of Lionel Messi and Neymar, the young Brazilian demonstrated maturity, game intelligence, and decision-making that has drawn attention in European-leagues.
