Barcelona suffered a 2-1 setback against Monaco on Thursday in their Champions League debut, hampered by an early red card for Eric Garcia.
Hansi Flick’s squad began the season with a pristine record after five La Liga games, but struggled to reach their peak against the Ligue 1 club.
Maghnes Akliouche scored Monaco’s first goal after Garcia was sent off for tripping Takumi Minamino while running.
Barcelona’s starlet Lamine Yamal equalised beautifully, but Monaco’s George Ilenikhena scored the winner in the 71st minute.
Five-time winners. Barcelona, last named European champions in 2015, has struggled in Europe in recent seasons, particularly away from home, and was dragged back down to earth in the French Riviera.
Monaco beat Barcelona in a pre-season friendly, dominating the Catalan giants for much of the game at the Stade Louis II.
Garcia’s dismissal after 11 minutes for colliding with former Liverpool midfielder Minamino on the edge of the area gave them a substantial advantage.
A sloppy ball from Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen put Garcia under immediate pressure, and he grappled with the Japan international while attempting to stop him from sprinting in on goal.
“We didn’t understand each other well in that situation and I feel bad for Eric, as in the end it hurts him and we had to play nearly 80 minutes with one less player,” Ter Stegen told Movistar.
“Something happened that shouldn’t have, to anyone, to me or to him… this defeat hurts because with 10 men we still showed up and tried to take at least a point.”
Monaco soon took the lead after 17 minutes when Akliouche worked his way into the box and finished well under little pressure.
With Barcelona at a numerical disadvantage the hosts were on top and Raphinha squandered the visitors’ best openings despite his impressive domestic form of late.
Inspired Yamal
Monaco had held Spain’s Euro 2024 sensation Yamal quiet, but he broke through to level before the half-hour mark, cutting in from the right and hammering inside the near post.
At 17 years and 68 days old, the teenager made it look easy to score a goal from nothing, becoming the Champions League’s second youngest scorer.
Ansu Fati, the record-holder, watched from Barcelona’s bench after scoring against Inter Milan in 2019 at the age of 17 years 40 days.
Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde bundled off target, but Monaco came close, with Breel Embolo blasting at Ter Stegen and Wilfried Singo’s goal disallowed for offside.
Monaco’s Adi Hutter seized the lead when the dangerous Vanderson delivered a long ball over the top to substitute Ilenikhena, who was behind Inigo Martinez.
The 18-year-old Nigerian attacker blasted his shot hard and low, which sailed into the net thanks to a hand from Ter Stegen, who could have kept it out.
The German goalkeeper earned some forgiveness as he made an outstanding save to deny Folarin Balogun’s furious strike.
Monaco was awarded a penalty late on when Balogun fell to the ground under Martinez’s pressure, but the referee reversed his judgment following a VAR review.
Flick brought on Fati for his first Barcelona game since August 2023 in search of an equaliser, but it did not come.
“The second goal didn’t have much of a build-up and it was hardly deserved in that moment,” added Ter Stegen.
“In the end you end up feeling bad about not having taken away any points.”