AS Monaco must pull out all the stops to ensure participation in the Champions League this season. Niko Kovac’s team dealt with Sparta Prague (0-2 and 3-1) quite easily in the previous round over two matches, but had a much harder time against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday evening. The Monegasques dominated in possession, but could not prevent Shakhtar from returning home with a 0-1 victory. Myron Boadu started on the bench and came in twenty minutes before time. The biggest danger from him and Monaco ended on the post ten minutes before time.
Monaco has been running rough in Ligue 1 to date and failed to win in the first two matches. Against Nantes, the team was stuck at a 1-1 draw, while on Friday they even lost 1-0 to FC Lorient. Kovac was unable to have goalkeeper Alexander Nübel against Shakhtar, who is struggling with stomach problems. In the vanguard, the Croat chose Kevin Volland and Wissam Ben Yedder, who were preferred over Boadu. The attacker, who came over from AZ, was still kicking off against Lorient, when he was substituted after an hour of play.
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The Brazilian more than rightly puts Shakhtar Donetsk ahead after a wonderful dribble. #UCL pic.twitter.com/n7MAcbOFxt
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) August 17, 2021
In a lively final phase, the game rippled up and down. The first big chance of the game was scored after seven minutes of play by Mykola Matviyenko, who was served in the penalty area and tried with a shot into the left corner. Radoslaw Majecki, however, had a good view of it and managed to prevent an early goal. On the other hand, barely fifteen minutes later it was hit. Pedrinho was lucky enough to stay on his feet between a number of Monaco players, dribbled into the penalty area with a nice solo and finished with a controlled shot into the right corner: 0-1.
Shakhtar left the initiative to Monaco, without getting into trouble defensively. Ben Yedder’s greatest ability could be defused quite easily. The home team’s striker shot into the top left corner after a great move, but found goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in his way. The Ukrainian goalkeeper also had an excellent save on a shot by Aurélien Tchouaméni. The Monaco midfielder tried with a shot from distance, but saw his effort narrowly kept out of the right corner.
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The substitute was almost the man at AS Monaco, but the goalkeeper and the post ruin the party for the Dutchman. #UCL pic.twitter.com/cmUj3xydDb
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) August 17, 2021
In the second act the game image hardly changed and it was Monaco that caused the most threat. Ben Yedder shot at Trubin after a good individual action, after which the goalie also had an answer to a shot by Tchouaméni in two instances. In between those chances, Boadu took to the field for new attacking forces, along with Krépin Diatta. Boadu even had the opportunity to put the equalizer on the board, but was unhappy in the completion. Pulling in from the left side of the field, he found the post in the short corner.