Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Monaco in a shocking Champions League upset on Thursday. The LaLiga side was reduced to 10 men after Eric Garcia was sent off just 10 minutes into the match.
Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena, making his Champions League debut, sealed Monaco’s victory in the 71st minute. The 18-year-old substitute latched onto Vanderson’s long ball and fired past Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Garcia’s early red card came after a poor pass from Ter Stegen left him exposed, forcing him to foul Monaco’s Takumi Minamino as the last defender.
Meanwhile, Arsenal battled to a 0-0 draw against Atalanta in Bergamo. Goalkeeper David Raya saved a penalty and a follow-up header from Mateo Retegui, preventing what could have been a defeat for the Gunners in their Champions League opener. Despite the dramatic moment, the game lacked excitement overall.
