George Ilenikhena breaks Kylian Mbappe’s record in Monaco’s victory over Barcelona
Monaco’s new teenage sensation, George Ilenikhena, has emerged as a rising star after his decisive goal secured a 2-1 win over Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League opener.
The Nigerian striker made headlines by breaking a club record previously held by none other than French star Kylian Mbappe.
In a thrilling match at Stade Louis II, Monaco opened the scoring in the 16th minute through Maghnes Akliouche, but Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s 17-year-old prodigy, equalized shortly after in the 28th minute. The game turned when Barcelona’s Eric García was sent off for a foul on Takumi Minamino, leaving the Spanish giants down to 10 men.
With the match finely balanced at 1-1, Ilenikhena capitalized on a defensive error in the 71st minute, slotting home the winning goal. His sharp instincts gave Monaco a famous victory and marked Hansi Flick’s first defeat as Barcelona’s manager.
The goal also earned Ilenikhena a place in Monaco’s history books, as he became the youngest player to score for the club in the Champions League at just 18 years and 34 days old, breaking Kylian Mbappe’s record. Mbappe had set the previous mark when he scored his first Champions League goal for Monaco at 18 years and 63 days in 2017 against Manchester City.
Monaco quickly celebrated their young talent, with social media buzzing over Ilenikhena’s performance and his record-breaking achievement. Notably, this isn’t the first time Ilenikhena has troubled Barcelona — the Nigerian striker also scored against them last season while playing for Royal Antwerp, another record-breaking moment in his young career.
