French club Monaco secured a surprising 2-1 victory over a 10-man Barcelona in the Champions League on Thursday, while Arsenal managed to earn a goalless draw against Europa League champions Atalanta, thanks to a remarkable double save from goalkeeper David Raya.
Barcelona, who had maintained a perfect record in their first five LaLiga matches, faced a severe setback early in the match when Eric Garcia received a red card in the 11th minute for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity against Takumi Minamino. Monaco capitalized on this advantage, with Maghnes Akliouche scoring the opening goal just five minutes after the dismissal.
Despite a valiant effort from Barcelona, including a 28th-minute equalizer from teenage talent Lamine Yamal, who skillfully shot from the right side, Monaco responded with a decisive winner from George Ilenikhena in the last 20 minutes. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the difficulties stemming from the early red card but highlighted the positives in his team’s performance.
In Italy, Arsenal’s Raya was instrumental in helping his team secure a point with a goalless draw. The match turned dramatic shortly after halftime when Mateo Retegui’s penalty was saved by Raya. Following the save, Retegui seemed poised to capitalize on the rebound, but Raya made a swift recovery to deny him again.
Atletico Madrid celebrated a late 2-1 victory against RB Leipzig, highlighted by a 90th-minute header from Jose Maria Gimenez. Leipzig initially took the lead through Benjamin Sesko, but goals from Antoine Griezmann and Gimenez ensured Atletico’s triumph, delighting coach Diego Simeone.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz had an outstanding Champions League debut, contributing to a commanding 4-0 victory over Feyenoord. Wirtz’s two goals, along with contributions from Alex Grimaldo and a rebound off Feyenoord’s goalkeeper, solidified Leverkusen’s dominant performance.
French club Brest made an impressive start in their inaugural European competition appearance, defeating Austria’s Sturm Graz 2-1, while Benfica triumphed 2-1 against Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.
The next matchday of the Champions League will occur on October 1 and 2, featuring Arsenal facing Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich visiting Aston Villa, and reigning champions Real Madrid traveling to Lille.