Barcelona lost (2-1) in Monaco after playing almost the entire match with ten players

Without Eric Garcia, who was sent off from the 10th minute, FC Barcelona lost 2-1 to Monaco at the Stade Louis II in the Principality, despite the first goal of the competition from youngster Lamine Yamal, on Thursday in the first round of the Champions League.

The Spanish league leader thus suffered his first defeat this season in an official match, after five consecutive victories in the domestic championship.

The last defeat of the Catalans had been precisely against the Monegasques in the friendly of the Joan Gamper trophy (3-0) in August. But the blue and reds seem to maintain the negative inertia in recent years in the Champions League, a competition they have not won since 2015.

This Thursday The game quickly became an uphill struggle for the Catalan team.

Eric Garcia, after a foul on Japanese striker Takumi Minamino When he was facing Marc-André Ter Stegen’s goal alone, he headed for the dressing room after being shown a straight red card. And just six minutes later, Frenchman Maghnes Akliouche beat the German goalkeeper with a left-footed shot (16) to put the team led by Adi Hütter ahead.

– Yamal, second youngest scorer –

But the response from Hansi Flick’s men was not long in coming and it was their star, Lamine Yamal, who scored his first goal at 17 years old (18) in the Champions League to put his team in the game, and become the second youngest player to score in the history of the Champions League, at 17 years and 68 days. The record holder was watching from the Barça bench, Ansu Fati, who scored in 2019 against Inter Milan at 17 years and 40 days.

Under the gaze of personalities such as former NBA player Michael Jordan, The leader of the Barça team at the start of this season replied to the home team’s goal with another low left-footed shot from the edge of the area that seemed to emulate Akliouche’s goal.

Monaco, current runners-up in the French leaguewho returned to Europe’s top competition after a six-year absence, took all three points thanks to a goal from George Ilenikhena (71). It was their first Champions League victory since 2017, when Kylian Mbappé wore the red and white jersey.

In the throes of the game, The referee awarded a penalty against Barça for an action inside the area on Florarin Balogun, but after a review by the VAR he rectified his decision and the match languished with the final score 2-1.

The Monegasque team will face it with much less pressure Their next Champions League game, in two weeks in Zagreb against Dinamo, is the complete opposite of Barça, who cannot afford to slip up against the modest Swiss side Young Boys.