PARIS, Sept 20* — In a surprising upset, 10-man Barcelona fell 2-1 to French club Monaco in their Champions League opener yesterday. Meanwhile, Arsenal secured a hard-fought goalless draw against Atalanta, thanks to an incredible double-save from goalkeeper David Raya.

Barcelona had started the season strongly, winning all five of their La Liga matches. However, a red card for Eric Garcia in the 11th minute significantly impacted the game. Just five minutes after the dismissal, Maghnes Akliouche put Monaco ahead. Teenage star Lamine Yamal equalized for Barcelona in the 28th minute with a well-placed shot. However, George Ilenikhena scored the winning goal for Monaco late in the match. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the challenge of playing with ten men but praised his team's effort, saying, “They deserve the 2-1 win.”

In Italy, Arsenal faced a tough start to their campaign against Atalanta, but Raya's heroics kept the match scoreless. He made a remarkable save against Mateo Retegui’s penalty early in the second half and then managed to recover quickly to deny the rebound.

In another match, Atletico Madrid celebrated a last-minute victory over RB Leipzig, winning 2-1. After Benjamin Sesko put Leipzig ahead, Antoine Griezmann equalized before assisting Jose Maria Gimenez’s late winner, igniting joy among Atletico fans.

Bayer Leverkusen had a dominant performance in their Champions League debut, defeating Feyenoord 4-0, with Florian Wirtz shining by scoring twice. Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso emphasized the seriousness of their performance despite the scoreline.

French side Brest made history by winning their first-ever European match, edging past Austria’s Sturm Graz 2-1. Benfica also claimed a 2-1 victory against Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.

The second matchday of the Champions League will take place on October 1 and 2, featuring Arsenal hosting Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich visiting Aston Villa.