Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Monaco in their Champions League opener on Thursday, a match marred by an early red card for Eric Garcia.
Hansi Flick’s side, who had a perfect start to their La Liga campaign with five straight wins, struggled to find their rhythm against the Ligue 1 side. The game took a turn when Garcia was sent off just 11 minutes in for pulling down Takumi Minamino as he raced through on goal. Maghnes Akliouche capitalized soon after, putting Monaco ahead.
Despite being down to 10 men, Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal equalized with a brilliant strike, but Monaco’s George Ilenikhena secured the winner in the 71st minute.
Barcelona, five-time European champions, last lifted the trophy in 2015 but have faltered in recent years, particularly in away matches. Their struggles continued on the French Riviera, where Monaco had already thrashed them in a pre-season friendly.
Garcia’s red card, for fouling former Liverpool midfielder Minamino after a poor pass from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, left Barcelona playing with a numerical disadvantage for nearly 80 minutes.
“We miscommunicated in that situation, and I feel bad for Eric. It hurt him, and we had to play almost the entire game a man down,” Ter Stegen told *Movistar*. “This defeat stings because even with 10 men, we fought to get a point.”
Monaco quickly took advantage of their superior numbers, with Akliouche finding the net in the 17th minute. Raphinha missed a couple of chances for Barcelona, despite his strong domestic form.
Monaco managed to keep Yamal quiet for most of the match, but the 17-year-old exploded into action to equalize for Barcelona, becoming the second-youngest scorer in Champions League history.
Barcelona had a few more opportunities, but Monaco’s Breel Embolo and Wilfried Singo kept Ter Stegen busy. Monaco retook the lead when Vanderson’s long ball found Ilenikhena, who outpaced Inigo Martinez and fired a low shot past Ter Stegen.
The German keeper redeemed himself with a brilliant save from Folarin Balogun’s powerful shot, and a late penalty decision against Barcelona was overturned after a VAR review.
Flick introduced Ansu Fati, making his first Barcelona appearance since August 2023, in search of an equalizer, but the comeback never materialized.
“The second goal wasn’t well-built, and we didn’t deserve it at that moment,” Ter Stegen added. “In the end, it’s frustrating to walk away without any points.”