George Ilenikhena once again emerged as the match winner against Barcelona in the Champions League, setting a new record as the youngest player to score for Monaco in the competition.
At just 18 years and 34 days, Ilenikhena surpassed Kylian Mbappe, who previously held the record at 18 years and 63 days.
The Lagos-born striker earned the Man of the Match award on Thursday night after netting the decisive goal in a thrilling 2-1 victory at the Stade Louis II Stadium. This marked his second goal against Barcelona, having also been the historical match winner for Antwerp in a previous Champions League group game.
Monaco capitalized on Barcelona’s early setback, with the Catalan side reduced to ten men just ten minutes into the match. Maghnes Akliouche opened the scoring for Monaco, but Lamine Yamal equalized with a stunning strike. Ilenikhena entered the game for Breel Embolo and quickly made an impact.
Twelve minutes after his introduction, he initiated a counter-attack and finished it off, firing past German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
Ilenikhena’s impressive performance solidifies his status as a rising star in European football.
