Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign began on a sour note as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Monaco, largely hampered by an early red card shown to defender Eric Garcia.
The Spanish giants, who have made a perfect start in La Liga with five wins, struggled to match Monaco’s intensity in Thursday’s group stage clash at the Stade Louis II.
The match took a dramatic turn just 11 minutes in when Eric Garcia was sent off for pulling down Takumi Minamino, who was racing towards goal.
A careless pass from goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen put Garcia under pressure, and the defender’s challenge on Minamino earned him a straight red card, leaving Barcelona with 10 men.
Monaco capitalised on their numerical advantage quickly, taking the lead in the 17th minute. Maghnes Akliouche found space in the box and fired past Ter Stegen to put the home side in control.
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Despite being a man down, Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal equalised before the half-hour mark with a brilliant solo effort.
However, Monaco regained the lead in the 71st minute when Nigerian forward George Ilenikhena latched onto a long ball from Vanderson and fired past Ter Stegen. The Barcelona keeper got a hand to the shot but could not prevent the ball from finding the back of the net.
Monaco looked set to extend their lead when Folarin Balogun was awarded a penalty after going down under pressure from Inigo Martinez, but the referee overturned the decision after a VAR review.
The defeat adds to Barcelona’s recent struggles in European competitions, particularly away from home, and leaves them with plenty to ponder as they aim to bounce back in their next UCL fixture.
