Monaco is the team to fear in UCL
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MONACO is the team to fear when the UEFA Champions League draw is made today.
That’s the view of coach Leonardo Jardim, the architect of a staggering attack that has scored 126 goals this season. Monaco topped up its goal tally on Wednesday night, beating Manchester City 3-1 to reach the last eight on the away goals rule after losing 3-5 in the first leg of their last 16 match.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Leicester are the other teams in the draw.
Asked if Monaco should be fearing sides or they should be fearing Monaco, he was clear.
“It’s more a case of the latter,” Jardim said.
Monaco advanced despite missing its 24-goal top scorer Radamel Falcao through injury and its best defender Kamil Glik through suspension.
But Jardim, the Portuguese coach, has instilled huge belief into this side, which is on course for a domestic treble.
“I thought if we scored three we would go through and the players had that in mind,” he said. “English teams have suited us well in the last couple of years. We knocked out Arsenal (in the last 16 in 2015) and we beat Tottenham twice this season (in the group stage).”
Midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko’s thumping 77th-minute header sent Monaco through.
City fought back from 0-2 down and was momentarily in control after midfielder Leroy Sane’s 71st-minute goal. But Bakayoko rose imperiously to meet Thomas Lemar’s curling free kick as the contest finished 6-6 on aggregate.
City coach Pep Guardiola lamented the fact that his side had failed to compete in the first half. “At this level, you have to play more than 45 minutes. The gap between the first and the second halves is there.”
Confirming his reputation as a rising star of European football, Monaco’s 18-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe scored from close range in the 8th minute for his 11th goal in 11 games.
Brazilian midfielder Fabinho made it 2-0 in the 29th with a crisp shot from near the penalty spot after excellent work by left back Benjamin Mendy.
Three weeks ago, City had rallied from 2-3 down with three goals in the last 20 minutes and it needed another comeback on the French Riviera.
City played much better in the second half, with Sane scoring after top scorer Sergio Aguero had missed good chances. Sane smashed the ball into the roof of the net after Danijel Subasic’s save from Raheem Sterling’s low shot fell right into his path.
But it was not enough, and Monaco’s lap of honor was richly deserved.
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