Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick remained upbeat despite his side kickstarting their Champions League campaign with a defeat to Monaco on Thursday.
The visitors were dealt a blow with just 10 minutes on the clock after defender Eric Garcia saw red after a tangle with Takumi Minamino on the edge of the box.
Monaco made the most of their man advantage six minutes later when Maghnes Akliouche struck beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Lamine Yamal levelled the scores before half-time, becoming the second-youngest player to score in the Champions League with a low finish into the bottom corner.
However, substitute George Ilenikhena would hand the French side the victory in the 71st minute, compounding Flick to his first defeat as Barca head coach.
It was also Barcelona's third ever defeat in their opening game of the competition after 1997-98 (2-3 v Newcastle) and 2021-22 (0-3 v Bayern Munich).
Despite the loss, Flick had already switched his focus to this weekend's LaLiga fixture against Villarreal this Sunday, and is looking for a response from his players.
"With (Garcia's) red card the game changed totally, but I can see the positives," Flick said.
"We tried to defend as a team and attack as a team. We had chances but they deserved to win.
"I have told the team to lift their heads up because they are disappointed, but we have to focus on Sunday, which is our next game.
"It's the time to recover. Hopefully, players will be back with a lot of energy.
"We have players that gave more than 100 percent, every player tried to give their best in this situation.
"I'm really proud of this team but we have to accept how we lost today."
Garcia's dismissal proved to be decisive in deciding the contest, with the Spaniard's sending off the earliest in the Champions League since Oleksandr Kucher for Shakhtar Donetsk against Bayern in 2015 (third minute).
Barcelona's last red card in the competition came in their quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last season, with Ronald Araujo shown his marching orders in a 4-1 defeat to the Parisiens.
The Spaniards have failed to reach the semi-finals of the competition since their dramatic aggregate defeat to Liverpool in 2018-19, but Flick remained confident about their chances this time around.
"Today you see this situation with a red card after 11 minutes, it changed our match plan, we have to accept it, this happens," Flick concluded.
"But we are strong enough to play a good Champions League, we have seven matches ahead, and I think we will win many matches."
Saint Lucia, Haiti stay perfect in Groups B and C of League B
Saint Lucia and Haiti consolidated their leads atop their respective Concacaf Nations League groups following contrasting wins in their League B encounters on Friday.
Caniggia Elva’s late brace in the 76th and 90th propelled St Lucia to a 2-1 win over Saint Martin, who led for most of the contest courtesy of Axel Raga’s 30th-minute strike in their Group B clash at the Darren Sammy Ground.
The win moved Saint Lucia to maximum nine points from three games. Curacao and Grenada, who played out a goalless stalemate in the other group contest, sit second and third on four points each, while Saint Martin is still yet to get on the board.
Over in Group C, Haiti beat host Aruba 3-1 at Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion.
Tyron Perret Gentil fired Aruba in front in the sixth minute, but Haiti responded through Frantzdy Pierrot (31st), and a brace from Duckens Nazon, who scored from the penalty spot in the 38th, followed by a 61st-minute close range effort.
The win saw Haiti move up to nine points from three games, three points ahead of Sint Maarten, who clipped Puerto Rico 3-2 in the other fixture.
Chovanie Amatkarijo (44th, 85th) and Imar Kort (49th) got the job done for Sint Maarten, while Rodolfo Sulia (2nd) and Alec Diaz (90+5) got Puerto Rico’s goals.
Puerto Rico remain on three points, with Aruba still pointless.
Saka and Jones withdraw from England's Nations League squad
England have confirmed that Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Liverpool's Curtis Jones have withdrawn from the squad ahead of their Nations League clash with Finland on Sunday.
Saka was replaced by Noni Madueke in the 51st minute during England's shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday after picking up an injury in his right leg.
It only adds to Mikel Arteta's injury worries ahead of facing Bournemouth next Saturday after Martin Odegaard was injured on international duty for Norway last month.
Saka has enjoyed a fine start to the Premier League campaign, scoring two goals and laying on a further seven assists in the Gunners' opening seven games.
The England international has also created more chances (27) than any other player in the division, with his nine goal involvements a total only bettered by Chelsea's Cole Palmer (11) and Manchester City's Erling Haaland (10).
Lee Carsley will also be without uncapped Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, who was added to the Three Lions squad earlier this week, but has since withdrawn due to a personal commitment.
Jones earned his first call-up in May as part of Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, but did not make the final cut.
The 23-year-old was part of the Young Lions side that won the 2023 European Under-21 Championship under Carsley, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win over Spain in the final.
Former Liverpool defender Matip confirms retirement
Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has confirmed his retirement from professional football.
Matip, who joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016, has been without a club since leaving Anfield at the end of last season and has since decided to call time on his 15-year career.
The 33-year-old started his career at Schalke, making 258 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit and helping them lift the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup in 2011.
Matip was among the first signings made by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, joining in the same window as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Loris Karius.
He helped the Reds return to the Champions League in Klopp's first full campaign in charge, making 29 Premier League appearances and keeping nine clean sheets.
However, his spell with the Reds was marred by repetitive injuries, sustaining 16 different issues across his eight-year spell on Merseyside.
The former Cameroon international's final appearance for Liverpool came in a 4-3 win over Fulham in December 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the same game.
Matip made 201 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and winning six major honours, which included the Reds' sixth Champions League triumph.
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