Barcelona’s flawless start to the season came to an abrupt end with a 2-1 defeat against Monaco in the revamped Champions League on Thursday. The match took a turn for the worse for Barcelona when defender Eric Garcia was sent off just 11 minutes in for pulling down Takumi Minamino after the Japanese forward intercepted a risky pass from goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
Despite winning their first five league games under new coach Hansi Flick, Barcelona fell behind in the 16th minute when midfielder Maghnes Akliouche scored for Monaco. Akliouche, who played for France in the Paris Olympics, found the net from the right side of the penalty area while national team head coach Didier Deschamps watched from the stands.
The crowd at Stade Louis II also included basketball legend Michael Jordan, who witnessed teenage sensation Lamine Yamal equalize for Barcelona in the 28th minute with an impressive left-footed shot from the edge of the box. This marked Yamal’s fourth goal of the season and his first in the Champions League, making him the second-youngest scorer in the tournament’s history at 17 years and 68 days.
In July, Yamal became the youngest player ever to score at a European Championship when he netted a remarkable goal in Spain’s semifinal win over France.
Monaco regained the lead in the 71st minute thanks to George Ilenikhena, who displayed excellent composure to score after seizing a pass over the top and beating Ter Stegen. This was Ilenikhena’s first goal for Monaco and his second in the Champions League, having previously scored against Barcelona last season while playing for Antwerp.
“I’m happy, we played really well together and we deserved the victory,” commented Ilenikhena. “If we play like this we can go far.”
After recovering from a foot injury, Ansu Fati made a late appearance as a substitute in the 88th minute. The 21-year-old forward had not played for Barcelona since 2023, after returning from a loan spell with English Premier League side Brighton.