Thanks to a last-gasp victory over Bologna on Tuesday (1-0), AS Monaco have made a record start to their Champions League campaign, which all but ensures their qualification.
Following consecutive defeats in Ligue 1, a reaction was expected from Monaco in Italy. “Tomorrow (Tuesday) is another game, another competition. A huge goal tomorrow is leaving Bologna with points,” previewed Adi Hutter, whose words in the dressing room sought to elicit a response from his players.
“The coach spoke a lot and motivated us a lot. I think that his words will wake up the group,” said Wilfried Singo, returning to Italy for the first time since his move from Torino in the summer of 2023. There was a reaction, which was evident from the outset on a chilly night in northern Italy.
Monaco silence Bologna crowd
Whilst the first chance of the match fell to the hosts, it was Monaco who dominated in the first half and who would have been disappointed not to head back to the dressing room with a lead. Breel Embolo saw an effort tipped onto the post by Lukasz Skorupski; Singo had the ball in the net, only for VAR to disallow his header for a foul; Embolo had another good chance when put through on goal, but he dallied, allowing for the defender to recover; and Maghnes Akliouche also went close, forcing Skorupski into a strong save after having worked space in the box.
But Bologna, enduring a difficult start to the campaign, had their chances too, notably through Sam Beukema, who forced Skorupski into a reflex save, whilst Santiago Castro also had the ball in the back of the net, only for the offside flag to be raised.
The Serie A side grew into the match upon the return from the dressing room, getting a restless, muted home crowd on their side. However, unlike when Les Monégasques were in the ascendancy, Bologna could not consistently create chances. The game, drifting towards a draw – a result that would have suited both sides – did get a goal.
Mission accomplished?
Captain on the night in the absence of Denis Zakaria, Thilo Kehrer popped up at the back post, latching onto Embolo’s flick-on and poking home. “What’s funny is that these last couple of days, I imagined getting the man-of-the-match trophy,” scoring his first goal in the Champions League saw that vision become a reality.
“When you score at the end, you are a bit lucky. But if you watch the whole game, we deserved to win,” began Hutter post-match. The victory ensures that Monaco’s unbeaten run continues in the Champions League. Not only that, it also ensures the Principality club’s best-ever start to the competition.
It means that Monaco now have 10 points – a figure touted by statisticians as being sufficient to qualify for the knockout phase of the competition. So is it already mission accomplished? “We are in a new format and we don’t know exactly how many points we need to qualify but we are happy to be high [in the table],” said Hutter, whose words were echoed by Singo.
Tough fixtures await Monaco
“We won’t get over-excited,” said the Ivory Coast international. His teammate, Akliouche, however, alluded to the importance of the milestone reached in the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium. “I think we’re aware that we have made a good step [towards qualification]. But we are competitors and we have multiple matches left and we’re aiming to win all of them,” said the France youth international.
Having set themselves the objective of finishing inside the top 24, which will see them progress to the next phase of the Champions League, there is an inescapable feeling that Monaco leave Italy having accomplished that goal, even if they don’t admit it publically. Based on their performances so far, a qualification for the top eight, which would see them skip a round of the competition, now has to be the objective.
“There are some big games coming up in the Champions League (Benfica, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Inter Milan),” said Hutter. It doesn’t get easier for Les Monégasques, quite the opposite in fact, but Monaco have given themselves the right to be ambitious.
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Photo source: AS Monaco
