MONACO: Barcelona fell to a 2-1 defeat at Monaco on Thursday in their Champions League opener, hindered by an early red card shown to Eric Garcia.
Hansi Flick’s side have started the season with a perfect record after five La Liga matches but struggled to find their best level against the Ligue 1 side.
After Garcia was sent off for pulling down Takumi Minamino as he ran through, Maghnes Akliouche fired Monaco ahead.
Starlet Lamine Yamal scored a fine equalizer for Barcelona but George Ilenikhena grabbed the winner for Monaco in the 71st minute.
Five-time winners Barcelona, last crowned European champions in 2015, have struggled in Europe in recent seasons, particularly away from home and were brought crashing down to earth in the French Riviera.
Monaco thrashed Barcelona in a pre-season friendly and had the Catalan giants’ number for much of the clash at the Stade Louis II.
They were significantly aided by Garcia’s dismissal after 11 minutes, for felling former Liverpool midfielder Minamino on the edge of the box.
A careless pass from Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen put Garcia under immediate pressure and he tangled with the Japan international as he tried to stop him running in on goal.
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.
Monaco had kept Spain’s Euro 2024 star Yamal quiet but he burst into life to level before the half-hour mark, cutting in from the right and drilling inside the near post.
The teenage made it look easy to score a goal out of nothing, becoming the second youngest scorer in Champions League history at 17 years and 68 days old.
The record-holder watched on from Barcelona’s bench — Ansu Fati, who netted in 2019 against Inter Milan at 17 years 40 days of age.
Alejandro Balde bundled off target for Barcelona but Monaco came closer, with Breel Embolo firing at Ter Stegen and Wilfried Singo having a goal disallowed for offside.
Monaco took the lead when the dangerous Vanderson played a long ball over the top which substitute Ilenikhena ran on to, with Inigo Martinez in his rearview mirror.
The 18-year-old Nigerian forward hit his shot hard and low and it flew into the net via a hand from Ter Stegen, who might have kept it out.
The German stopper achieved some redemption when he produced a superb save to keep out Folarin Balogun’s ferocious effort.
Monaco were awarded a penalty late on when Balogun tumbled to ground under pressure from Martinez, but the referee changed his decision after a VAR review.
Flick threw on Fati for his first Barcelona appearance since August 2023 in search of an equalizer but it was not forthcoming.
Barca stumble at Monaco after early red card
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Barca stumble at Monaco after early red card
DeChambeau, Crushers GC lead LIV Singapore at halfway mark
- A second-round 6-under 65 has DeChambeau at 10-under through 36 holes
SINGAPORE: Entering Friday, Bryson DeChambeau is tied atop a bunched leaderboard at Aramco LIV Golf Singapore.
After shooting the round of the week, a second-round six-under 65, he sits at 10-under through 36 holes. The Crushers GC captain enters the weekend with a three-shot lead.
After beginning his second round with back-to-back pars, he birdied the third, fourth and eighth holes, making the turn in 32 strokes. His back nine was smooth-sailing until the par-four 15th, when he overdrew an iron off the tee into the harbor.
After taking a drop, he scrambled for a hard-earned bogey, protecting his lead in the process. And bounced back immediately, making a birdie on the 16th. For the round, he finished with a total of six birdies, an eagle and the lone bogey on 15.
“Focus on my golf, what I can control,” said DeChambeau of his mindset.
“I know it’s cliche, but you can’t get too wrapped up with what everybody else is doing and making sure I’m starting it on my lines the way I need to and rolling the putts on my lines like I need to. Barring that, I think I can give myself a good chance.”
DeChambeau’s closest competitors are three shots back at seven-under and include Thomas Detry, Jon Rahm, Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood and Richard T. Lee.
Detry of 4Aces GC is fresh off a runner-up finish at HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong and has carried that momentum into Singapore. His round included a chip-in eagle on the 18th hole (his 16th of the day) off the back of the green from 37 meters away.
The Belgian remains confident heading into the final two rounds. “I’m up for the challenge,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge out there, so anything under par is pretty good, and I managed to do that pretty well.”
Hong Kong winner Rahm continues to lurk dangerously on the leaderboard. The Legion XIII captain made 11 consecutive pars from holes five to 17 before finishing his round with a birdie on the par-five 18th to finish at seven-under.
“I played really good today. Felt like I played actually significantly better than yesterday, just little margins,” Rahm said. “Couldn’t really make many putts out there today. Made that one on six and from then on missed a lot of birdie chances.”
Oosthuizen shot a four-under 67 that included six birdies and two bogeys. The Southern Guards GC captain has been fueled by a hot putter and ranks fifth in the field in Strokes Gained Putting at the halfway stage.
“I tried to give myself as many birdie putts as possible,” said Oosthuizen. “I felt I saw the greens really good today, the lines, and rolled the putter really good.”
Westwood, in just his second start after returning from a wrist injury, continues to play steady golf. The Majesticks Golf Club co-captain shot a three-under 68 that included five birdies and two bogeys.
Lee, who is looking to become the first LIV Golf Wild Card to finish better than 12th in a tournament, shot a three-under 68.
Matthew Wolff, Marc Leishman and Charles Howell III all shot three-under 68s as well and are four shots back of DeChambeau at six-under.
On the team leaderboard, the Crushers GC surged to the top after carding a cumulative 10-under for the day. They hold a three-shot lead over the first-round leaders, Legion XIII.
The champions from Hong Kong, 4Aces GC, are just one shot back of Legion XIII and four shots behind the Crushers.
