AS Monaco emerged victorious against Barcelona (2-1) during the first round of the Champions League group stage on Thursday.
Monaco started strong, and after a pressured pass by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, Eric Garcia was forced to commit a foul on Takumi Minamino, denying him a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Dutch referee Allard Lindhout immediately showed Garcia a red card just 10 minutes into the game.
This red card was Barcelona’s fastest ever in Champions League history (9 minutes and 32 seconds).
Six minutes later, Magnus Aklioch capitalized on Barcelona’s numerical disadvantage, scoring Monaco’s first goal in the 16th minute.
Barcelona’s rising star, Lamine Yamal, leveled the score in the 28th minute with a left-footed shot that marked Barcelona’s first shot on target.
In the second half, Monaco maintained control, and Nigerian George Elinihena scored the second goal after breaking free from Barcelona’s offside trap and going one-on-one with Ter Stegen.
In the final minutes, a penalty was awarded to Monaco for a foul on Iñigo Martínez, but the referee overturned the decision after a VAR review.
Barcelona will host Young Boys on October 1st at home.
