Sunday night gave Chelsea fans the first opportunity to see future talent Estevao Willian in action against a European side during Palmeiras’ opening match at the Club World Cup.
The Brazilian side impressed up against the likes of Samu Aghewowa, and were the better of the two sides, despite not being able to break the deadlock in the 0-0 draw.
Estevao was a constant threat during his hour or so on the pitch, however was guilty of spurning arguably their best chance of the game on the stroke of half-time.
The teenager had already enjoyed a dream farewell from his home ground, and anything else will be a bonus before he moves to Stamford Bridge.
The youngster was handed the ‘Superior Player of the Match award’, despite his early exit from proceedings, and he certainly played his part in an exciting attacking setup.
Despite being acknowledged by the wider footballing world, Brazilian media were not so impressed with the performance of their biggest name star in one of his last games for the club.
GE Globo gave him just a 5/10, stating that they thought he looked nervous now he was clearly looking to thrill on the big stage.
They said: “He had two great chances to open the score for Palmeiras, one at the beginning of the duel and another at the end of the first half, and wasted it. He seemed nervous at the conclusion of the plays, he couldn’t create sharp bids.”
The Brazil international was a constant threat, but it has to be said did not deliver the devastating final blow when it looked as if he was destined to.
| Estevao Willian vs Porto | Total |
| Minutes | 65 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Big chances missed | 1 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Tackles won | 1/1 |
Can Estevao play for Chelsea at the Club World Cup?
As part of the agreement with Palmeiras, Estevao is set to officially become a Chelsea player at the end of the group stages of this competition.
This means that should the Blues get out of the groups, the winger would then be their player for the remaining time they are in the tournament.
However, FIFA rules state Estevao is not eligible to be registered by Chelsea for the latter stages of the Club World Cup, with him now being cup-tied after making his first appearance.
This means the youngster will have to wait until the return of the Premier League in August before he can make his mark in a Chelsea shirt, and try and convince Enzo Maresca that he has a big role to play this season.
