Spanish Media: Barca’s Loss Not Only Due to Garcia’s Red Card – No Need to Panic, But They Can’t Be Reckless Anymore

In the early hours of September 20th, Barcelona suffered a 1-2 defeat against Monaco in their first match of the Champions League group stage. After the game, Spain’s “Mundo Deportivo” commented that this was one of those matches that should be forgotten. Barcelona’s performance in the first half was far from their recent standards in La Liga, despite Eric Garcia being sent off with a red card in the 10th minute, which had a significant impact on the game, the problems exposed in defense were equally notable.

When Monaco took the lead, few believed that Barcelona could equalize before halftime. However, a 17-year-old young talent, Lamine Yamal, stepped up, scoring a crucial goal at the moment when his team needed him most. Yamal’s performance evoked memories of a young Messi, who often scored with similar signature moves: receiving the ball from the sideline, gradually advancing towards the penalty area, constantly adjusting his position until finding the best shooting angle. Yamal replicated this process and successfully scored.

In the second half, head coach Flick’s halftime pep talk seemed to have some initial effect, but another defensive error allowed Monaco to extend their lead. This was a cold splash of water for Barcelona, who were on an upward trajectory. With one less player on the field and immense physical exertion, the team’s overall performance visibly declined.

In the last 10 minutes of the game, Flick chose to substitute Lewandowski and Yamal with Ansu Fati, while Rafinha, despite a mediocre performance, remained on the field. This substitution did not bring about the expected turnaround; although the pace of the game quickened, there was insufficient time left to change the outcome. Ansu Fati’s appearance became the only highlight of the entire game, even though he hardly got any opportunities in the limited time he had.

This was a night unfavorable to Barcelona in every way, and it marked Flick’s first loss in an official game with Barcelona. Despite this, the team maintained high morale. While there is no need for excessive worry, this defeat does sound a warning bell: in the Champions League, any slackness can result in painful lessons. Although Barcelona’s winning streak was interrupted, their enthusiasm for the future remains undiminished.