Chelsea star jokes about facing Barcelona prodigy in UCL – ‘Can’t injure him either, because otherwise…’ | OneFootball

The draw for the ‘league phase’ of the UEFA Champions League has thrown up some very interesting fixtures, one of which sees La Liga title-holders FC Barcelona face off against current Conference League and Club World Cup champions Chelsea.

The two European heavyweights are set to square off at Stamford Bridge on 25 November in what will be a special match-up for the fans.

The contest will also bring some familiar faces up against one another, with Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal set to be involved in a direct duel with former La Masia talent and Spain left-back Marc Cucurella.

Cucurella praises Lamine Yamal

On Thursday night, Lamine and Cucurella were on the same team as Spain defeated Bulgaria 3-0 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture.

Cucurella scored his first goal for La Roja while Lamine set Mikel Merino up for his goal on the night in a rather comfortable win.

Speaking to the media after the game, Cucurella gave his two cents about facing Lamine in a couple of months when Chelsea and Barcelona face off in the Champions League.

“We’ll have to play in the Champions League. It’ll be a beautiful and special match, and I hope it’s a tough one for them. We’re playing at home, and that’s always a plus,” he said, before acknowledging the difficulty of facing Lamine.

“He’s the hardest winger to stop,” noted the former Barcelona left-back, before adding: “He’s a very skilful player; you never know what he’s going to do to you. It’ll be a tough match, but I’ll try to make things as difficult as possible for him.”

Cucurella aware of the challenge of facing Lamine. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“I can’t injure him either, because otherwise I won’t be able to come back to the national team,” Cucurella joked.

The Chelsea star also gave his opinion on the Ballon d’Or debate and backed Lamine for the prize, saying:

“I have to back it. I think Lamine has had a great year; he deserves it. In the end, if he doesn’t win it, it doesn’t matter. He’s very young, but at his age, the things he does are worth appreciating.”

Cucurella revealed that there is already playful rivalry in Spain’s training camp between Chelsea and Barcelona players.

“They’re already saying we’re going to have to face each other; they say they’re going to beat us. I know we’re going to make things difficult for them. For me, it’ll be a special match; we’re also playing at home, and I think it will be very nice,” he noted.

Finally, when asked if he had pushed much to convince Fermin Lopez to leave Barcelona for Chelsea this summer, Cucurella replied:

“You can’t say that, otherwise he’ll get angry.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo