AS Monaco ended up cracking. Well established in their fifth day against Benfica Lisbon and ahead of the score, the Monegasques gave in numerically inferiority in the last quarter of an hour and said goodbye to a fourth victory in five Champions League matches. A defeat which hurts Adi Hütter’s men who were still imagining themselves in the 83rd minute, 2nd in the League phase and well placed in the Top 8 directly qualifying for the 8th finals.
Since its opening feat against Barcelona (2-1), ASM has exuded serenity on the European scene and the start of the match against the Lisbon team proved it again. After missing the opener in the 9th minute, Eliesse Ben Seghir, aligned at the front of the attack, did not flinch four minutes later when he had to push the ball into the back of the net at the conclusion , in two stages, of a school counter-attack (1-0, 13th).
Behind, Radoslaw Majecki held the house for a time against the Lisbon assaults led by Argentinian veteran Angel Di Maria. The former Parisian and his left paw as polished as ever did not find the solution against the Polish goalkeeper (37th), before perfectly placing his corner on the head of Nicolás Otamendi who narrowly missed (38th).
But the Monaco goalkeeper did the irreparable, like his defender Caio Henrique in the 48th to let Pavlidis equalize too easily. It was at that moment that this meeting entered another dimension, especially for the referee of the match Rade Obrenovic. The man in black had to manage a rejected goal on each side of Akliouche (49th) and Bah (53rd) for very limited offside. Almost immediately, Mr. Obrenovic made the decision to send off Wilfried Singo for a second yellow for an aerial duel that was too rough according to the referee.
But at 10 against 11, ASM, operating against, found the fault in the Portuguese defense thanks to the two entrants Mawissa, with the pass, and Magassa at the conclusion (2-1, 67th). Outnumbered but almost more dangerous than the Lisbonites in rapid attack, the teammates of an inspired Golovin this Wednesday evening were able to hold the score until the approach of the last ten minutes before completely cracking on two dropped crosses from Angel Di Maria on the head of Cabral (2-2, 84th) then of Amdouni (2-3, 88th), in two goals in quick succession in a copy-paste fashion.
With 10 units in five days, Monaco can harbor immense regrets before a tough final triptych (Arsenal, Aston Villa, Inter Milan). Next match in London against the Gunners on December 11.
