French club Monaco defeated 10-man Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League on Thursday, while a remarkable double-save by David Raya secured Arsenal a goalless draw against Atalanta, the reigning Europa League champions.
Barcelona, who had won all five of their LaLiga matches at the start of the season, faced an early setback when Eric Garcia received a red card in the 11th minute. This setback allowed Monaco to take the lead just five minutes later, with Maghnes Akliouche scoring after Garcia’s dismissal.
Teenage talent Lamine Yamal equalized for Barcelona in the 28th minute with a precise shot from the left, but George Ilenikhena restored Monaco’s lead in the final 20 minutes, securing the victory for the French side.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the difficulties caused by the red card but emphasized the positive aspects of his team’s performance. He stated, “We tried to defend as a team and also attack as a team, and we had chances, but today they deserved the 2-1 win, so we have to accept that.”
In Italy, Arsenal’s Raya played a crucial role in securing a point for his team against Atalanta. The match was tightly contested, but Raya’s pivotal moment came in the second half when he saved a penalty from Mateo Retegui, following a foul by Thomas Partey. Despite the initial save, a rebound almost led to a goal, but Raya quickly recovered to prevent it.
“It’s just a penalty and I was lucky to go the right way and save it,” Raya commented.
Atletico Madrid celebrated a last-minute victory against RB Leipzig, winning 2-1. Benjamin Sesko gave the visitors an early lead, but Antoine Griezmann equalized before halftime. Griezmann then assisted Jose Maria Gimenez for the winning goal in the dying moments of the match, prompting joy from Atletico’s coach Diego Simeone.
Bayer Leverkusen had a successful start in the Champions League, with Florian Wirtz shining on his debut. The Bundesliga champions triumphed over Feyenoord with a 4-0 victory, with Wirtz scoring twice and contributing to an impressive performance overall.
In another match, French team Brest secured a win in their first-ever European competition, defeating Austria’s Sturm Graz 2-1. The game, held at Guingamp’s ground due to UEFA regulations, saw Brest take the lead through Hugo Magnetti before an equalizer from Edimilson Fernandes was followed by a decisive goal from Abdallah Sima.
Benfica achieved a narrow 2-1 victory against Red Star Belgrade, with both goals coming in the first half from Turkish players Kerem Akturkoglu and Orkun Kokcu.
The second matchday of the Champions League league phase is scheduled for October 1 and 2, featuring exciting clashes including Arsenal facing Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich visiting Aston Villa.