FC Barcelona has faced its first defeat of the season, making it the first loss of Hansi Flick as Barca's manager. While much was expected from the Blaugrana club, coming in the UCL opener on a winning streak of 5 games, the side was completely outplayed by Monaco at the Stade Louis II. With this win, French Giants Monaco have dismantled Barca's dream of a perfect star for their new UCL campaign.
FC Barcelona's winning streak disrupts as Monaco stands out in the UCL opener
Right from the first minutes, Monaco was the dominating force in the game. As Hansi Flick had mentioned, they needed to get a good start to be in the fixture; however, the early suspension of Eric Garcia caused havoc for the club's momentum. In the 10th minute, a disastrous pass from Ter Stegen left a clear chance for Monaco, after which Eric had to forcibly disrupt the attack, taking a red card.
Being reduced to 10 men, only 10 minutes in the game, Barca's confidence was never the same in the game again. On the other hand, Monaco capitalized on the opportunity brilliantly. Continuous attempts from Minamino, Embolo, and Akliouche soon yielded success for Barca as young prodigy Akliouche, after making a brilliant wing on the right wing, left Ter Stegen frozen, making it 1-0 for Monaco.
Although not much later, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal brought the club back into the game, raising hopes of a comeback, but it couldn't materialize significantly. Yamal, after cutting in from the right wing, shot an exquisite rocket on which Monaco's Philipp Kohn had no answer, making him the second youngest UCL scorer. But unfortunately, the 17-year-old's magnificent effort couldn't save the club from a loss.
For a significant duration, the scoreline remained 1-1, but as was evident from Monaco's dominant display, they were putting their all for the 3 points, and their efforts materialized. After making a few crucial saves for the club, Ter Stegen couldn't stop a thunderous shot of Ilenikhena, who had run clear after a top pass from behind put him in a counterattack situation.
Monaco's 2-1 win has found Barca losing for the second time to the French club in a matter of months. While their 3-0 victory in the Gamper had come against an inexperienced Barcelona lineup, this UCL opener win would surely affect the Blaugrana club's momentum, which had been dismantling La Liga clubs for fun. Barca players and the fans would hope that the club recovers well from this loss, as a single loss wouldn't matter much in this new UCL format.