MONACO: Barcelona suffered a disappointing start to their Champions League campaign, falling 2-1 to AS Monaco on Thursday, following the early dismissal of defender Eric Garcia.
The match at the Stade Louis II saw Garcia sent off just 11 minutes in for a foul on Monaco’s Takumi Minamino, who was in a clear position to score after a misplaced pass from goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Reflecting on the incident, Ter Stegen stated, “We had a misunderstanding at that moment. I feel bad for Eric. We played 80 minutes with one less player. It’s part of football. The loss is painful because we gave our all and tried to salvage a point despite being down to 10 men.”
Monaco took advantage of their numerical superiority, scoring the opening goal just five minutes later when Maghnes Akliouche netted a low shot. Barcelona responded in the 28th minute with a goal from Lamine Yamal, who equalized from the edge of the penalty area.
Yamal’s goal made him the second-youngest scorer in Champions League history at 17 years and 68 days, following teammate Ansu Fati, who achieved the record in 2019 at 17 years and 40 days.
Monaco continued to apply pressure, and their efforts paid off in the 71st minute when substitute George Ilenikhena struck past Ter Stegen, securing the victory. This match marked Monaco’s return to the main stage of Europe’s top club competition for the first time in five years.
Barcelona’s manager, Hansi Flick, acknowledged the significant impact of Garcia’s red card, saying, “The game completely changed with the sending off. We defended with passion and made some mistakes, but we kept trying to score. Monaco deserved the win.” He emphasized the need to regroup and prepare for their upcoming La Liga match against Villarreal, stating, “We need to give our best and fight for the team.”
