2 weeks Ago By Calum Ritchie
Barcelona kicked off their Champions League season with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of AS Monaco. Hansi Flick's side have made a strong start to the domestic campaign, but a bizarre red card incident didn't help their cause in France. Former Manchester City centre-back Eric Garcia was given his marching orders after initially being shown a yellow card.
There was a moment of confusion for those inside the ground and the many watching from home. The referee brandished the yellow card before gesturing for the Spanish defender to make his way off the pitch. The match wasn't even 10 minutes old by the time the Spanish giants were reduced to 10 men.
Wonderkid Lamine Yamal fired in his fourth goal of the 2024/25 season, but it wasn't enough to salvage anything from the game for his team, as the hosts made the most of their extra man advantage. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Lamine Yamal has more goal contributions in La Liga (7) than any other player this season. There's a reason why every elite club is so desperate to reach the Champions League.
.. Bizarre Eric Garcia Moment A risky pass by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen put Garcia in all sorts of danger as ex-Liverpool winger Takumi Minamino closed him down.
The Japan international dispossessed the defender, who was left with no choice but to bring him down on the edge of the penalty area. Had he not done so, Minamino would've had a clear goalscoring opportunity, meaning a red card looked inevitable. However, Garcia may have initially thought he'd got away with just a booking as the referee instantly pulled out the yellow card.
This is where everything got a little confusing for all involved. Sam Matterface was on commentary for TNT Sports, and he was adamant a red card was on its way: "It looked like a yellow card had come out. I was almost convinced the red card was coming.
" He then went on to give his theory on what had gone wrong, saying: "I wonder if the referee has brought out the wrong colour of card. There's absolutely no intention to play the ball and that would ordinarily be a red card." It turns out that he was right, and after a discussion with the official, Garcia was seen walking off the field.
It was finally clear up in the end, but the brief confusion made for one of the more bizarre moments of the first Champions League week of the season. Watch the moment in full below: Hansi Flick on Barcelona Defeat Speaking after the game, Barcelona's German boss Flick was open and honest about his side's loss . Noting the red card as the turning point, the former Bayern Munich manager admitted that Monaco were deserved winners on the night: "Yes, the game changed completely [after the red].
We tried at all times, we defended with passion. We made some mistakes, but we tried to score goals. We had some chances, but they deserved to win.
" Barca will now prepare for La Liga action against Villarreal on Sunday, and Flick wants to see a reaction from his players. He added: “We lost, okay, I told the players that, but now we have to come back stronger, recover for Sunday’s game. We have to give our best and fight for the team.
We lost this game, but we will continue to fight.” Former Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas has explained why he believes the club's economic struggles have benefitted them. Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt .
Correct as of 20-09-24..
