AS Monaco’s Champions League dreams are over following a 3-3 draw against Benfica in Lisbon that sees the Principality team eliminated on aggregate.

AS Monaco’s Champions League campaign came to an end at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon on Tuesday 18th February. Despite leading twice in the match and dominating for long stretches, Monaco’s 3-3 draw with Benfica was not enough to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat, meaning the Rouges et Blancs have been eliminated from the competition on aggregate (3-4).

Adi Hütter’s side needed a win to advance and set the pace early, creating several opportunities. However, Benfica struck first, with Kerem Aktürkoglu scoring in the 22nd minute. Monaco responded quickly through Takumi Minamino, who equalised in the 32nd minute with a sharp finish.

Eliesse Ben Seghir put Monaco ahead early in the second half, but a penalty converted by Vangelis Pavlidis brought Benfica back into contention. George Ilenikhena restored Monaco’s lead seconds after coming on as a substitute, but the advantage lasted only three minutes, as Orkun Kökçü’s deflected shot sealed the draw—and Benfica’s progression.

A mixture of pride and disappointment

Reflecting on the match, Hütter admitted frustration but noted his team’s effort.

“I would say it’s a mixture of pride and disappointment,” shared the Austrian coach post-match. “We showed a strong performance, especially with a young team, but at this level, we made too many individual mistakes to expect to go through. Benfica was also lucky in some moments.”

Hütter also dismissed suggestions that experience was the key difference.

“For me, it’s too easy to blame experience every time. We had chances, we didn’t convert them, and we conceded three goals. That’s what cost us,” he said.

Midfielder Krépin Diatta echoed the disappointment, believing Monaco deserved more from the tie.

“There is a lot of frustration because we had the opportunity to qualify,” he said. “The best team on the pitch tonight was AS Monaco, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.”

Maghnes Akliouche, the 22-year-old Monaco midfielder, also pointed to the team’s inefficiency in attack as a decisive factor.

“We lacked something in both penalty areas,” he said. “We needed to score more and concede less. That’s the reality of football.”

Meanwhile, AS Monaco General Manager Thiago Scuro admitted that the damage had been done in the first leg at home.

“The reality is that we lost the qualification in Monaco,” said Scuro. “Tonight, we showed that AS Monaco is strong and deserved its place in this competition, but in the end, the first-leg defeat cost us.”

With their European campaign over, Monaco must now turn their attention back to Ligue 1, where they aim to secure a Top 3 finish and a return to the Champions League next season. Their next match is on Saturday 22nd February against Lille at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, followed by a home fixture against Reims at the Stade Louis II on Friday 28th February.

“We have to bounce back immediately,” Diatta said. “The season isn’t over, and we want to be back in this competition next year.”

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Photos source: AS Monaco