After suffering a bitter defeat to Inter Milan and finishing 17th in the first round of the UEFA Champions League, AS Monaco are now set to face Benfica in the play-offs. The Principality side will no doubt be eager for revenge, having lost to the Portuguese team in the fifth round of the competition back in November.
The Champions League play-off draw took place on Friday 31st January. There were only two possible opponents for AS Monaco: Benfica or their close rivals in French Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain. In the end, the Principality side were drawn against the former and now face two legs in the knockout stage during February.
Monaco last played Benfica at home at Stade Louis II in November. Despite being reduced to ten men shortly before the hour mark, Monaco put up a heroic fight but ultimately lost 3-2 in the final minutes of a match dominated by controversial refereeing decisions.
Ahead of the play-off draw, AS Monaco forward Breel Embolo noted, “I would find it a bit of a shame if we were to face PSG. We want our revenge against Benfica.”
The first leg will take place in Monaco on Tuesday 11th or Wednesday 12th February, with the return leg a week later at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. This will be Monaco’s 14th encounter with a Portuguese side in the club’s history, with a record of two wins, three draws and eight defeats.
AS Monaco’s General Director, Thiago Scuro, has shared his thoughts on the upcoming games, saying, “These will be two tough matches, but this is exactly why we wanted to qualify for the Champions League play-offs—to face great teams and deliver top performances. This draw gives us the opportunity to play more high-level international matches. We’re fortunate to take on Benfica, a club with a rich history in this competition. We hope to put in two strong performances in Monaco and Lisbon to show that we are improving and that we deserve to continue our journey in this tournament.”
Tickets to the home leg are yet to go on sale, but fans can sign up now for alerts. For more information, click here.
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Photo source: AS Monaco