As the Champions League draw took place on the opposite side of the Principality, AS Monaco ensured that they would take part in some form of European football this season thanks to a comfortable win over Górnik Zabrze (4-1, agg. 7-3).

CEO Thiago Scuro and sporting director Carlos Avina would much rather have been sat in the auditorium of the Grimaldi Forum on Thursday night, watching Monaco’s name being pulled out of the hat in the Champions League draw. Last season’s shortcomings ensured that wouldn’t be the case, but they could still embark on a European adventure in the event of seeing off a spirited Górnik Zabrze side at the Stade Louis II.

Górnik Zabrze and a fall from grace

To know that this wasn’t the Champions League, you only needed to look at the quality on the pitch. There wasn’t a lot of it, at least from the visitors. But the Polish side could nonetheless have featured in Europe’s premier competition. They began the summer in the UCL qualifiers and ended it without any form of European football to show for their efforts. But there was no resentment at the final whistle, greeted by chants of “Thank You” from a buoyant away end; there were 6,200 fans in attendance on the night, and it was the chants of the Polish contingent that rang around a stadium still in the midst of renovation work.

Monaco politely saved their best football until after the Champions League draw had been completed. There was not a chance of note inside the first 29 minutes, but Paris Brunner then awoke the crowd from its stupor with a rifled first-time effort from outside the box: a moment of quality in a match that had, until that point, been sorely lacking it.

It was Mamadou Coulibaly who had set up the German for the opener, who got on the scoreline himself moments later. The midfielder was afforded too much room inside the Górnik Zabrze box. He was grateful for it as he picked out his spot in the far corner of Philipp Schulze’s goal.

Monaco were cruising and a third from Aleskandr Golovin just after the break ensured a night devoid of any tension. It became a question of how many, but Monaco rang the changes in anticipation of Sunday’s match against Olympique de Marseille. Key figures such as Denis Zakaria were rested, but the entrances of inexperienced prospects such as Anis Soubeir, Safouane Benzahra, and Illane Touré didn’t help Les Monégasques’ rhythm.

Coulibaly says Monaco look to go deep in UECL

But who needs rhythm when the opponent is prepared to offer gifts. Golovin’s was the first, the result of Lukas Sadilek’s fluffed clearance, and the second courtesy of Schulze, who parried a simple Mathys Detourbet shot right into the path of substitute Mika Biereth. The Dane, after a difficult second season at the Principality club netted what was his first goal at the Stade Louis II since last September. A return to form for the former Arsenal man would be welcome for a Monaco side that are bracing to lose last season’s marksman, Folarin Balogun.

Paulo Bernardo’s late consolation for Górnik Zabrze, which “bothered” Filipe Luís, was the only stain on an otherwise serene if not spectacular evening in the Principality. We did what we had to do: qualify for UECL. “For me, Monaco has to be in European competition. We have to aim to be there every season. There were no big celebrations, but it was important to win,” reacted Filipe Luís.

“We hope to go far in the Europa Conference League,” reacted Coulibaly. In the immediate, attention turns to Sunday’s game against Marseille. Despite the importance of that fixture, there wasn’t any rotation against Górnik Zabrze. And there was a logic to that. “I think that we are in a moment where the players need to play, to be tired, to adapt to playing a run of games; it is the only way that they will feel better,” said Luís.

Three games, three wins for Luís. The new Monaco manager will look to make it four against OM in what is his first big test since being appointed over the summer.

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Photo source: AS Monaco