Wayne Rooney singles out 'absolutely incredible' Marc Cucurella after Chelsea defender shuts down Lamine Yamal

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·26. November 2025

Wayne Rooney singles out 'absolutely incredible' Marc Cucurella after Chelsea defender shuts down Lamine Yamal

Marc Cucurella was rewarded with the Player of the Match award for an impressive display in Chelsea’s win against Barcelona

Wayne Rooney has heaped praise on Marc Cucurella following Chelsea’s Champions League win over Barcelona.

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The Blues cruised to a 3-0 victory against the LaLiga giants on Tuesday night and there were a number of standout performers - all wearing a blue shirt - at Stamford Bridge.

Much of the plaudits has fallen at the feet of wonderkid Estevao after the Brazilian scored a stunning goal in the second half to double Chelsea’s lead and emulate Kylian Mbappe in the process.

In a showdown that was billed as ‘Estevao vs Lamine Yamal: The battle of the wonderkids’ it was the Chelsea youngster who ultimately came out on top.

Yamal, by his high standards, had an off night in west London and Rooney believes Cucurella deserves a lot of credit for how he handled the Barcelona star.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, Rooney said: "Cucurella was absolutely incredible. I think it's probably the best performance I have seen from a left-back for a very long time.

“To do that tonight, what he did, that shows he's a serious player."

Marc Cucurella defended superbly against Lamine Yamal

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Portugal national team manager Roberto Martinez then added that Cucurella’s aggression was key to keeping Yamal relatively quiet.

“How are you going to stop Lamine Yamal? He always tries to show him outside, and then he’s quick, and he reacts quickly,” Martinez noted. “He wants to let him know that he’s going to have no time.

“Look at the intensity. The moment the ball is played, he’s gonna be aggressive and he’s going to win the ball back. He knows he’s quick, sharp and he can cope with him.”