UCL: A night to remember for Wirtz, Yamal’s to forget

paris: Shortly after lighting up the European Championship, two of the world’s most exciting young players shone on club football’s biggest stage.

With mixed fortunes, however. Teenager Lamine Yamal’s goal couldn’t prevent 10-man Barcelona from falling to a 1-2 defeat at Monaco on Thursday in the Champions League — ending the Spanish club’s perfect start to the season.

Meanwhile, it took Florian Wirtz less than five minutes to score his first Champions League goal on his debut in Europe’s elite club competition.

Wirtz also netted another as Bayer Leverkusen romped to a 4-0 win at Feyenoord.

“I was really looking forward to this game for the last few days already, and that’s how I approached the game too. I think, however, it was like that for everyone,” Wirtz said. “I didn’t count on finishing with two goals, but I had two chances and I just used them both. And then you can just build on that and I can just try to take my chances.”

Leverkusen lost in the Europa League final in May, its only defeat in a remarkable season that saw it win the Bundesliga and German Cup.

Atalanta, the team that beat Leverkusen four months ago, had a penalty saved in a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at home.

Atletico Madrid beat Leipzig 2-1 and Benfica topped Red Star Belgrade 2-1, while Brest’s first-ever appearance in European competition ended in a 2-1 win over Sturm Graz. It was the third evening of the new Champions League format which replaces the traditional group stage.

For all the talk of youngsters, it was a veteran who shone for Atlético. The 33-year-old Antoine Griezmann scored for the 11th straight season in the Champions League and also put in the cross for José María Giménez’s last-gasp headed

winner.