AS Monaco scored a crucial victory on Tuesday evening against Aston Villa (1-0) at the Stade Louis-II, during the 7th day of the group stage of the Champions League. This success, acquired thanks to an early goal from Wilfried Singo, allows the Monegasques to secure their place at least for the play-offs for the round of 16.
From the 8th minute, Wilfried Singo gave Monaco the advantage by recovering a ball rejected by Emiliano Martinez, following a header from Thilo Kehrer from a corner well executed by Lamine Camara. This early goal put the Monegasques in a favorable position, but the rest of the match was marked by intense domination from Aston Villa.
A wake-up call at the right time
Despite constant pressure from the English team, Adi Hütter's men were able to preserve their advantage thanks to heroic defense and a goalkeeper in a state of grace. Radoslaw Majecki made several decisive interventions, notably against Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey, to keep his team in the lead.
After complicated weeks, marked by two consecutive defeats in the Champions League (against Benfica and Arsenal), Monaco regained momentum at the best time. The return of key players like Denis Zakaria and Wilfried Singo helped stabilize the team. “It’s a victory which shows our ability to react in the face of adversity,” underlined Adi Hütter.
-A pressure-free trip to Milan
With 13 points, Monaco joins Aston Villa at the top of the group and can now calmly approach their last match against Inter Milan, reigning Italian champion. This victory, obtained through pain, restores confidence to a team which showed that it could transcend itself in key moments.
The match took place in an exceptional atmosphere, in the presence of Prince Albert and Prince Williams, a fervent supporter of Aston Villa. If the latter saw his team dominate the majority of the match, it was the Monegasques who finished the match with a smile.
