Champions League: 10-man AS Monaco beaten 0-1 by Benfica
AS Monaco, who were reduced to ten men following Moatasem Al-Musrati’s red card early in the second half, suffered a disappointing 0-1 defeat vs. Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.
The Match
Under the eyes of President Dmitry Rybolovlev, Adi Hutter selected a quality side, with him notably picking Al-Musrati to make his first start for Les Monegasques since recently joining.
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The early exchanges saw both outfits unleash some dangerous yet unsuccessful efforts, as Alvaro Carreras’ blast from distance went just wide while Maghnes Akliouche was denied by some brilliant work by Anatoliy Trubin between the posts.
Akliouche ! @AS_Monaco #ASMSLB #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/HeXelVBZ31
— Monaco Tribune (@MonacoTribune) February 12, 2025
In a first half that was short on clear-cut chances, but full of tension, the two teams went to the internal level.
The second stanza began in dramatic fashion, however, for Vangelis Pavlidis powered the Eagles into the lead in the 48th minute before Al-Musrati was harshly sent off for a second yellow.
Leaving ASM with a mountain to climb to salvage anything from this one, things nearly got worse when Kerem Akturkoglu and Pavlidis almost doubled the Eagles’ advantage.
To their credit, Les Monegasques fought hard to defend resolutely and still posed a threat on the counter.
Further opportunities fell the way of Orkun Kokcu, Denis Zakaria and Fredrik Aursnes in the final portion of the match, but Radoslaw Majecki and Trubin in goal were on hand to keep the score unchanged.
Despite the result being far from ideal, given the circumstances, a 0-1 loss wasn’t too bad, for it leaves ASM in with a fighting chance of progression in the all-important second leg.
Hutter’s Debrief
“First of all, I feel that it was a similar match to the one we had two months ago against this Benfica team. The ten minutes after the break were decisive in the outcome of the match. I think the second yellow card given to Moatasem Al-Musrati is harsh, because he was not aggressive,” reflected the Austrian manager.
“It’s a difficult red, even if he shouldn’t have made that gesture. Despite everything, I liked the reaction of the team, who fought and tried everything to reverse the result. That’s what I said in the locker room to the players, it’s only 0-1 and we will fight in the return to get this qualification.”
Scuro’s Reactions
In the mixed zone, the Monaco General Manager, Thiago Scuro, also shared his thoughts, stating: “I think it is important that I speak for several reasons. The first is that we are only in the first round of this double confrontation, and that we have the cards in hand to turn the situation around in Lisbon and qualify for the next round, which remains our objective. We have the players and the qualities to hope for another outcome, and we will take our responsibilities to do so.
La réaction de Thiago Scuro, Directeur Général de l’AS Monaco, après la rencontre 🎙️
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 12, 2025
‣ #ASMSLB pic.twitter.com/S4RV2HFiOm
“Secondly, I will try to find the right words to explain things with respect. This is the second time against Benfica that decisions have had a strong impact on the result of the match. It is not good for anyone and for the quality of the game. We are in the Champions League and have the right to expect something else. When the referee is at the centre of the match, it is because something is not working, and that is what we experienced tonight. Moatasem Al-Musrati’s gesture should not have happened, even if he was not aggressive towards him. This second yellow was not necessary.”
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact Benfica held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (2.19 to 0.39), total shots (23 to 6), shots inside the box (16 to 5), touches inside the box (39 to 12) and overall duels won (60 to 54) further underlined what a tough night at the office it was for the short-handed Monaco.
Big Upcoming Seven Days
Up next for Les Monegasques is a key Ligue 1 clash with Nantes, which is followed by the second leg at the Estadio da Luz, where Monaco will be without Al-Musrati, Vanderson and Zakaria due to suspension, in their quest to triumph against the odds.
