A dramatic night in the UEFA Champions League saw George Ilenikhena make an immediate impact off the bench, but his brilliance wasn’t enough to save Monaco from elimination.

The 18-year-old Nigerian netted just moments after coming on, yet the French side fell short in a gripping 3-3 draw against Benfica, bowing out with a 4-3 aggregate defeat, Footballrover reports.

George Ilenikhena’s instant impact in Champions League drama

Trailing by a goal from the first leg, Monaco arrived at Estádio da Luz determined to turn the tie around.

They started brightly, unsettling Benfica early on, but a controversial penalty appeal for Breel Embolo was waved away.

The momentum shifted when Wilfried Singo’s costly mistake gifted Benfica an opening, allowing Vangélis Pavlídis to set up Kerem Aktürkoğlu for the first goal of the night, extending the hosts’ aggregate lead.

Monaco responded well, with Embolo striking the woodwork before Takumi Minamino found the net, cutting the deficit.

The Ligue 1 outfit continued their resurgence after the break, as Eliesse Ben Seghir curled home a stunning finish to bring the tie level.

However, their hopes took another hit when Thilo Kehrer’s rash challenge on Fredrik Aursnes handed Benfica a penalty, which Pavlídis calmly converted.

Monaco fall short despite Ilenikhena’s heroics

With Monaco desperate for an equaliser, coach Adi Hütter turned to George Ilenikhena, who wasted no time making his presence felt.

Within a minute of stepping onto the pitch, the teenager muscled past Nicolás Otamendi and drilled a low shot past Anatoliy Trubin.

He has now found the net in back-to-back games for Monaco after scoring twice in their dominant 7-1 victory over Nantes.

The Nigerian forward has netted three times in his last two matches as a sub, bringing his season tally to six goals along with two assists.

Ilenikhena has also scored twice in the Champions League, with his first coming in Monaco’s 2-1 win over Barcelona on September 19, 2024.

Could his Super Eagles’ debut under Eric Chelle be eminent?

Yet, just as Monaco thought they had a lifeline, Benfica struck again. Orkun Kökçü pounced on Álvaro Carreras’s pinpoint cross to restore the Portuguese side’s advantage.

Despite a late VAR review denying Benfica another penalty, they held firm to extend their unbeaten European home record against French opposition to 19 games and secure a last-16 clash against either Barcelona or Liverpool.

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Last Updated on February 18, 2025 11:49 pm by footballrover