Barcelona’s UEFA Youth League campaign got off to a disappointing start as they suffered a high-scoring defeat to Monaco, losing 4-3 in a dramatic match. The young Catalans initially took control, with Arnau Prades scoring a stunning opening goal followed by Hugo Alba converting a penalty to make it 2-0 within the first 36 minutes.
However, the game turned on its head before halftime, with Monaco’s Tincres heading in a goal just before the break, followed by a powerful shot from Buabre, leveling the match at 2-2.
Desperate to regain their lead, Barcelona pressed forward and substitute Pedro Fernández struck from the edge of the area, putting them back ahead. Yet, Monaco responded fiercely in the latter stages of the match. Tincres scored again to equalize, and Carvalho netted the decisive goal, handing Monaco a 4-3 victory.
Despite a promising start, Barcelona could not clinch a point and returned to Catalonia empty-handed. The match saw several players booked, including Bamba and Cabral from Monaco, along with Barça’s Víctor and Walton.
Final Match Stats:
Monaco: 4
Barcelona: 3
Goals:
0-1 Arnau Prades (17′)
0-2 Hugo Alba (36′)
1-2 Tincres (41′)
2-2 Buabre (44′)
2-3 Pedro Fernández (57′)
3-3 Tincres (65′)
4-3 Carvalho (80′)
Referee: Bence Csonka.