Barcelona tops Chelsea to win UEFA Youth League

Barcelona is the UEFA Youth League champion after besting Chelsea 3-0 on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland, to lift the continental title for a second time in the tournament’s five-year history.

That draws Barca level with the Blues, with Red Bull Salzburg the surprise winner of last year’s contest.

It was an electric performance from a Barcelona side that dominated proceedings courtesy of a dazzling attack.

Abel Ruiz was the engineer responsible for Barcelona’s opener. The 18-year-old attacker deftly turned Dujon Sterling with a bit of trickery on the left flank before a give-and-go with Ricard Puig sprung Ruiz into space, allowing him to fire a pass across the face of goal that Marques easily headed beyond a helpless Jamie Cumming.

Barcelona bossed the opening stanza and Marques’ goal was a deserved product of a clinical half from Gerard Lopez’s charges. Puig was particularly threatening, with the midfielder – who has drawn comparisons to Lionel Messi and Xavi – probing Chelsea’s midfield and backline with slaloming runs and pinpoint passing.

Marques all but put the match out of reach five minutes after the interval when Chelsea skipper Josh Grant’s pass back to defensive partner Marc Guehi was pounced on by the Barcelona forward. A replay showed there was contact between Guehi and Marques, though it was the latter who recovered the ball, slotting it to Cumming’s right and into the back of the net.

With a two-goal advantage, Barcelona slowed the pace and controlled possession, ensuring Chelsea saw very little of the ball over the final quarter of an hour. Barcelona made it 3-0 in the second minute of added time when Ruiz bagged one from short range.