Barca stumble at Monaco after early red card
Barcelona fell to a 2-1 defeat at Monaco on Thursday
in their Champions League opener, hindered by an early red card shown to Eric
Garcia.
Hansi Flick's side have started the season with a
perfect record after five La Liga matches but struggled to find their best
level against the Ligue 1 side.
After Garcia was sent off for pulling down Takumi
Minamino as he ran through, Maghnes Akliouche fired Monaco ahead.
Starlet Lamine Yamal scored a fine equaliser for
Barcelona but George Ilenikhena grabbed the winner for Monaco in the 71st
minute.
Five-time winners Barcelona, last crowned European
champions in 2015, have struggled in Europe in recent seasons, particularly
away from home and were brought crashing down to earth in the French Riviera.
Monaco thrashed Barcelona in a pre-season friendly
and had the Catalan giants' number for much of the clash at the Stade Louis II.
They were significantly aided by Garcia's dismissal
after 11 minutes, for felling former Liverpool midfielder Minamino on the edge
of the box.
A careless pass from Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre
ter Stegen put Garcia under immediate pressure and he tangled with the Japan
international as he tried to stop him running in on goal.
"We didn't understand each other well in that
situation and I feel bad for Eric, as in the end it hurts him and we had to
play nearly 80 minutes with one less player," Ter Stegen told Movistar.
"Something happened that shouldn't have, to
anyone, to me or to him... this defeat hurts because with 10 men we still
showed up and tried to take at least a point."
Monaco soon took the lead after 17 minutes when
Akliouche worked his way into the box and finished well under little pressure.
With Barcelona at a numerical disadvantage the hosts
were on top and Raphinha squandered the visitors' best openings despite his
impressive domestic form of late.
Monaco had kept Spain's Euro 2024 star Yamal quiet
but he burst into life to level before the half-hour mark, cutting in from the
right and drilling inside the near post.
The teenage made it look easy to score a goal out of
nothing, becoming the second youngest scorer in Champions League history at 17
years and 68 days old.
The record-holder watched on from Barcelona's bench
-- Ansu Fati, who netted in 2019 against Inter Milan at 17 years 40 days of
age.
Alejandro Balde bundled off target for Barcelona but
Monaco came closer, with Breel Embolo firing at Ter Stegen and Wilfried Singo
having a goal disallowed for offside.
Adi Hutter's Monaco took the lead when the dangerous
Vanderson played a long ball over the top which substitute Ilenikhena ran on
to, with Inigo Martinez in his rearview mirror.
The 18-year-old Nigerian forward hit his shot hard
and low and it flew into the net via a hand from Ter Stegen, who might have
kept it out.
The German stopper achieved some redemption when he
produced a superb save to keep out Folarin Balogun's ferocious effort.
Monaco were awarded a penalty late on when Balogun
tumbled to ground under pressure from Martinez, but the referee changed his
decision after a VAR review.
Flick threw on Fati for his first Barcelona
appearance since August 2023 in search of an equaliser but it was not
forthcoming.
"The second goal didn't have much of a build-up
and it was hardly deserved in that moment," added Ter Stegen.
"In the end you end up feeling bad about not
having taken away any points."
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