Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat at Monaco on Sept 19 in their Champions League opener, with Eric Garcia receiving an early red card.
Hansi Flick’s team has won all 5 La Liga matches this season but struggled against the Ligue 1 side.
Early Red Card and Monaco First Goal
After Garcia was shown a red card for pulling down Takumi Minamino as he ran through, Maghnes Akliouche scored to put Monaco ahead.
Starlet Lamine Yamal gave Barcelona a great equalizer, but in the 71st minute, George Ilenikhena gave Monaco the victory.
Barcelona, which has won the Champions League five times, last secured the title in 2015. However, they have recently struggled in Europe, especially in away matches, and suffered a major setback in the French Riviera.
Monaco Pre-Season Victory
Monaco dominated Barcelona in a pre-season friendly at the Stade Louis II.
They were significantly aided by Garcia’s dismissal after 11 minutes for fouling former Liverpool midfielder Minamino on the edge of the box.
Ter Stegens Error Reflects on the Incident
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 from running in on goal.
We didn’t understand each other well in that situation, and I feel bad for Eric. In the end, it hurt him, and we had to play nearly 80 minutes with one less player, Ter Stegen told Movistar.
Something happened that shouldn’t have happened, to anyone, to me or him. This defeat hurts because even with 10 men, we still showed up and tried to take at least a point.
Monaco took the lead after 17 minutes when Akliouche dribbled into the box and finished calmly despite little pressure.
Barcelona Missed Chances
With Barcelona having a player sent off, the home team took control of the game. Raphinha missed several good chances for the away team, despite performing well in domestic matches recently.
Yamal Historic Goal
Monaco had contained Spain’s Euro 2024 standout player Yamal, but he suddenly came to life and equalized just before the half-hour mark. He cut in from the right and expertly placed the ball inside the near post.
The teenager made scoring a goal out of nothing look easy, becoming the second youngest scorer in Champions League history at 17 years and 68 days old.
Comparison with Ansu Fati Record
The record-holder, Ansu Fati, watched from Barcelona’s bench. He scored against Inter Milan in 2019 at the age of 17 years and 40 days.
Alejandro Balde missed the target for Barcelona, while Monaco had a close chance with Breel Embolo’s shot at Ter Stegen and Wilfried Singo’s disallowed goal for offside.
Monaco Pressure and Second Goal
Monaco took the lead when Vanderson played a long ball over the top to substitute Ilenikhena, who ran onto it with Inigo Martinez in pursuit.
The 18-year-old Nigerian forward struck the ball hard and low, and it went into the net after touching Ter Stegen’s hand, who could have possibly saved it.
The German goalkeeper found redemption by making a fantastic save to deny Folarin Balogun’s powerful shot.
Monaco Penalty Controversy
Monaco was awarded a late penalty after Balogun fell to the ground under pressure from Martinez, but the referee reversed his decision following a VAR review.
Fati made his first Barcelona appearance since August 2023 as Flick brought him on in search of an equaliser, but it did not materialize.
Ter Stegen Final Thoughts
“The second goal did not have much of a build-up, and it was hardly deserved at that moment,” Ter Stegen added.
In the end, you end up feeling bad for not having scored any points.
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