Barcelona vs Monaco: Garcia Red, Match Report, Ratings
Barcelona scraped past Monaco 2-1 in a tense encounter at the Camp Nou, but the match was overshadowed by a controversial red card for Ousmane Dembélé and a shaky performance from the Catalan giants.
The first half was a tightly contested affair with both sides creating half-chances. Monaco's defensive organization frustrated Barcelona, while the French side struggled to break through the Blaugrana backline.
The opening goal came in the 45th minute, a moment of individual brilliance from Gavi. He picked the ball up in midfield and drove towards the box, leaving defenders in his wake before unleashing a thunderous strike that flew past Alexander Nübel into the net.
The second half began with Barcelona pressing for a second goal, but Monaco struck back against the run of play. A long ball from Youssouf Fofana found Breel Embolo, who brilliantly controlled the ball with his chest and fired a low shot past Marc-André ter Stegen in the 54th minute.
Controversy erupted in the 76th minute when Dembélé was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Vanderson. The incident, which appeared to be a fair challenge, left Barcelona with a mountain to climb.
However, Barcelona refused to be denied. In the 83rd minute, a long throw-in from Jules Koundé found Robert Lewandowski, who volleyed home from close range to seal the victory.
Despite the win, Barcelona will be disappointed with their performance. They looked unconvincing for large portions of the game and were often guilty of wasteful possession. The red card to Dembélé was a major turning point and highlighted the fragility of their squad.
Here are the player ratings from the match:
Barcelona:
- Ter Stegen (7/10): Made several important saves, including a crucial stop from Embolo in the first half.
- Koundé (8/10): Solid defensively and provided a dangerous threat in the attacking third.
- Araujo (7/10): Won his aerial duels and looked assured in defense.
- Christensen (6/10): A mixed performance, struggled at times against the pace of Monaco's attackers.
- Balde (6/10): Showed flashes of his talent but lacked consistency.
- De Jong (7/10): Dictated the pace of the game and controlled midfield.
- Pedri (7/10): A constant threat with his dribbling and passing.
- Gavi (9/10): Man of the match with a superb goal and tireless running.
- Raphinha (6/10): Missed a number of opportunities and lacked his usual cutting edge.
- Dembélé (6/10): Unlucky with the red card, but his performance was lacking before the incident.
- Lewandowski (8/10): A clinical finish to secure the win.
Monaco:
- Nübel (7/10): Made some impressive saves and denied Barcelona on a number of occasions.
- Disasi (7/10): Solid defensive performance, kept Lewandowski quiet for much of the game.
- Maripán (6/10): Lost his man for Gavi's goal and struggled against Barcelona's attacking threat.
- Vanderson (7/10): Threatening going forward and caused Barcelona problems with his pace.
- Caqueret (7/10): A powerful presence in midfield, but struggled to break down Barcelona's defense.
- Fofana (8/10): Controlled the midfield battle and provided the assist for Embolo's goal.
- Golovin (7/10): A creative force in the Monaco attack, but lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
- Embolo (8/10): A clinical finish for Monaco's goal and a constant threat to the Barcelona defense.
- Ben Yedder (6/10): Isolated in attack and struggled to get into the game.
- Minamino (6/10): Offered pace and energy off the bench, but couldn't break through the Barcelona defense.
Overall, Barcelona will be relieved to have secured the victory, but they will need to improve their performance if they are to challenge for the Champions League title. Monaco, on the other hand, will be frustrated with their defeat but can take solace in their impressive showing against one of Europe's giants.
