AS Monaco lost for the first time this season in the Champions League against Benfica (3-2) on Wednesday in Monaco. The Monegasques collapsed in the final minutes of regulation time.
Cruel outcome for the ASM. Reduced to ten after the exclusion of Singo at the hour mark (58th), Monaco collapsed in the final moments of the match, against Benfica, conceding two goals in quick succession (84th, 88th) while had taken the numerically inferior advantage. Qualification for the next round will wait. At the end of a highly contested match full of twists and turns, AS Monaco finally suffered its first setback in this Champions League.
Everything started perfectly in this match for ASM, rewarded for its very good start with the first goal in the Champions League from Moroccan international Eliesse Ben Seghir (13th). Served behind by the Russian Golovine, at the start and conclusion of a superb collective movement, the young attacking midfielder did not need to display all his class to convert his teammate's effort.
Coming back very strongly as the break approached, the Lisbon team set the tone for a completely crazy second half with Vangélis Pavlidis' equalizer in the 48th minute. Taking advantage of a slightly timid back pass from Caio Henrique for his goalkeeper who came without much conviction to meet the Greek striker, Pavlidis went to equalize from the right without opposition.
Everything then followed, from the two rejected goals (49th, 55th), one on each side, until the expulsion of Wilfried Singo, for a second yellow, undoubtedly a little harsh, given by the Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic. Monaco seemed condemned to suffer and suffocate in numerical inferiority, but the unexpected goal from Magassa (67th) gave sufficient energy to its partners to survive mentally at the end of the match, by gritting their teeth. At least that’s what Austrian Adi Hütter, the ASM coach, probably hoped for.
Unfortunately for the Monegasques, the end of the match was fatal for them, on two specific crosses. The first, addressed from the left flank, was taken by the Brazilian Cabral, who remained on the ground after his equalizer, stunned by his feat. In the process, Amdouni gave the final blow to ASM taking advantage of a moment of hesitation in the Asemist defense, and the caviar delivered by the eternal Angel Di Maria, author this evening of his 37th and 38th assists in Champions League.
While they had the opportunity to take a decisive step towards qualification, with a success which would have also raised them to the status of probable candidate for the top 8, the position of the Monegasques among these privileged people who would be directly qualified in the eighth of The final now hangs by a thread.
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