Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Monaco in their Champions League opener on Thursday, hindered by an early red card to Eric Garcia. Hansi Flick’s side, who had been perfect in La Liga so far, struggled against the Ligue 1 team. Garcia was sent off in the 11th minute for a foul on Takumi Minamino, and Monaco capitalized with Maghnes Akliouche scoring the opener.
Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal leveled the score with a stunning goal, becoming the second-youngest scorer in Champions League history. However, Monaco’s George Ilenikhena netted the winner in the 71st minute. Despite Barcelona’s efforts to equalize, Monaco coach Adi Hutter praised his team for their courageous performance and creating many chances.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen expressed regret over the defensive mix-up that led to Garcia’s red card, acknowledging the difficulties of playing with 10 men. Ter Stegen redeemed himself with a superb save to deny Folarin Balogun later in the match, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the defeat.
“The game changed completely after the red card, but we have to accept the result,” Flick told reporters, as Barcelona continues to struggle in Europe, particularly away from home.
