Estevao Willian’s Palmeiras farewell tour continued on Sunday night as the future Chelsea star made his first appearance at the Club World Cup.
The Brazilian cannot now feature for the Blues in the competition after becoming cup-tied, however Chelsea fans were keen to get a first look at the attacker in action against European opposition in the form of Porto.
Palmeiras were by far the better team, however were held to a 0-0 draw to leave their group without a goal after the opening games.
Estevao picked up the ‘Superior Player of the Match award’, however Brazilian media criticised Estevao for not being able to put the finishing touches on a number of flowing attacking moves.
Estevao Willian proved he is ready to become a Chelsea star in Club World Cup debut
With Chelsea’s plan being to immediately integrate the winger into their first team squad, everyone will have been hoping to see a bright display when the pressure was on.
Something that was notable was how despite being just a teenager, Estevao was the leading force in attack. Very few moves did not go through the Brazil international, and their performance tailed off towards the end of the game when he had been replaced.
One positive that Chelsea fans can take from the negative section of the result is that the Blues will not be relying on Estevao as much for creativity. Instead, they will be frequently giving him the ball in dangerous areas, where he looked the most dangerous.
Estevao’s versatility on show ahead of Stamford Bridge move
Being able to feature in multiple areas of attack will also be crucial, given the fact that the likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson frequently pick up other roles as the game goes on.
Estevao looked equally as dangerous on the left wing, right wing and behind the striker, with fear clearly instilled in the defence whenever he picked up the ball.
With Chelsea still yet to sign a new winger after strong interest in Jamie Gittens, the intention remains to strengthen the likes of Jadon Sancho who were with the squad last season.
The Blues will have been hoping Estevao was ready for first team football at Stamford Bridge, and his Club World Cup debut will have only given them a positive feeling about the seasons to come.
