George Ilenikhena Shines on Champions League Debut, Leading Monaco to Victory Over Barcelona
Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena made a stunning impact on his Champions League debut, scoring as Monaco pulled off an upset against 10-man Barcelona. The 18-year-old, who came on as a substitute, received a long ball from Vanderson in the 71st minute and unleashed a powerful shot past goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The match took a turn early when Barcelona’s Eric Garcia received a straight red card just 10 minutes in, fouling Takumi Minamino as the last man after a misplaced pass from Ter Stegen. Monaco capitalized on the advantage quickly, with Maghnes Akliouche finding the net shortly after to put the hosts ahead.
Barcelona’s young sensation Lamine Yamal equalized, scoring his first Champions League goal by cutting inside and driving a low shot into the bottom corner. However, Ilenikhena’s decisive goal, his first since transferring from Royal Antwerp this summer, sealed Barcelona’s fate, marking a disappointing opening for the Spanish giants.
Monaco had opportunities to extend their lead, including a strike from Vanderson that was pushed wide and a deflected effort from Minamino that hit the crossbar. A potential penalty for Monaco late in the game was overturned by VAR, ruling that Folarin Balogun had gone down too easily under pressure from Inigo Martinez.
Ilenikhena’s achievement is notable as he became Monaco’s youngest Champions League goalscorer at 18 years and 34 days, surpassing Kylian Mbappe’s previous record. Remarkably, he also holds the distinction of being the first player in Champions League history to score against the same team in consecutive games while playing for different clubs.
Yamal, despite the defeat, had an impressive performance and has now made the most appearances by a player aged 17 or under in Champions League history, taking 11 matches to score his first goal in the competition. He became the second youngest goalscorer in Champions League history at 17 years and 68 days, just behind teammate Ansu Fati.