Nigerian striker, George Ilenikhena, scored a historic goal for Monaco as they produced a 2-1 UEFA Champions League upset victory over 10-man Barcelona at Stade Louis II on Thursday night.
The 18-year-old substitute raced on to Vanderson’s long ball over the top of the defence in the 71st minute and blasted his shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Consequently, he broke the record previously held by Kylian Mbappé, who was Monaco’s youngest scorer in the UEFA Champions League. Mbappe scored in a match against Manchester City in 2017 at the age of 18 years and 63 days.
Man-of-the-match Ilenikhena, who also scored for Royal Antwerp against Barcelona in the same competition last season, is 18 years and 34 days old.
Barcelona’s Eric Garcia had earlier been shown a straight red card with just 10 minutes gone, when he fouled Takumi Minamino as the last man after a poor pass out from the back by Ter Stegen.
Monaco took the lead soon after when Maghnes Akliouche slotted past Ter Stegen who was rooted to the spot.
Barcelona’s own teenage star, Lamine Yamal, equalised with his first Champions League goal when he latched on to a long ball and cut inside before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner.
He became the second-youngest scorer in the history of the competition.
Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman, was in action for 89 minutes as David Raya pulled off a mind-boggling double save to help Mikel Arteta’s men grind out a 0-0 draw against Atalanta.
Thomas Partey clipped Ederson inside the box in the second half and conceded a penalty.
However, Mateo Retegui was denied not once, but twice by the impenetrable Raya, who astonishingly kept out his initial spot kick and his follow-up off the line, rivalling his magnificent reaction save against Aston Villa last month.
A goal from winger Kerem Akturkoglu and a superb free-kick by his Turkish compatriot, Orkun Kokcu, earned Benfica a 2-1 victory at Crvena zvezda.
Akturkoglu opened the scoring for the Portuguese side in the ninth minute, converting a cross at the far post from close range.
Kokcu then doubled the advantage a minute before the half-hour mark with a meticulously placed free-kick curl from around 25 metres, finding the net just inside the top right corner.
Feyenoord opened their Champions League campaign with a brutal 4-0 loss to Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen, at home. It only took Florian Wirtz five minutes to open the scoring.
Wirtz announced his arrival to the Champions League in style, scoring a first half brace in an all-around man-of-the-match performance. Leverkusen fired on all cylinders and a goal by Alejandro Grimaldo and an own goal by Wellenreuther capped off a 4-0 first-half for the German team.
Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface was impressive in the match for Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite not scoring, Boniface pulled off one of the moments of the match, his no-look pass sending Jeremie Frimpong clear to deliver one of his two assists.
Atletico Madrid came from a goal down to win 2-1 at home to RB Leipzig, courtesy of Jose Maria’s Gimenez’s late strike. Benjamin Sesko fired past Jan Oblak for the game’s opening goal inside the first five minutes at the Wanda Metropolitano.
However, the hosts were able to issue a response, and just before the half hour mark, Antoine Griezmann scored to bring the game back to 1-1. Gimenez’s 90th minute header gave them the win against the German side.
Abdallah Sima’s second-half goal secured Brest their first-ever win in a European competition, in a 2-1 victory over 10-man Sturm Graz.
Brest made their Champions League bow, with goals in either half enough to overcome an own goal on the stroke of half-time.
Hugo Magnetti scored Brest’s maiden European goal just 23 minutes into the clash. However, the visitors equalised just before the break, with Edimilson Fernandes inadvertently sending the ball into his own net. Sima restored the French side’s advantage by skilfully evading his marker to score in the 56th minute.
Sturm Graz were reduced to 10 men with just two minutes remaining of the 90, when Dimitri Lavalee received his second booking after a late tackle on Magnetti.
Results
Feyenoord 0-4 Bayer Leverkusen
Monaco 2-1 Barcelona
Crvena zvezda 1-2 Benfica
Brest 2-1 Sturm Graz
Atalanta 0-0 Arsenal
Atletico Madrid 2-1 RB Leipzig
