By Daily Sports on March 16, 2017
Tiemoue Bakayoko’s superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarterfinals as Wednesday’s 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals.
Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home side’s second just before the half hour.
Leroy Sane’s 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemar’s free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win.
Monaco go through to Friday’s draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germain’s shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager.
“We played an exceptional second half, but the first one we forgot to be there,” Guardiola told BT Sport.
“In the second half we were much, much better but it was not enough. It happens and we'll learn, we have a team with not a lot of experience in this competition.”
Monaco hero Bakayoko will miss the first leg of the quarterfinal through suspension but was delighted to advance.
“It’s an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didn’t expect this,” he said.
“Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going.”
The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain.
Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure.
Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that year's quarterfinals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals.
And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europe’s most promising talents amid Monaco’s thrilling pursuit of the French title this season.
FAST START DAZZLES CITY
Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappe’s crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silva's driven low cross just a minute later.
City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over.
Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes.
Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of City's this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero.
Mbappe's electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterling's hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area.
Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left.
Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie.
However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit. (© AFP)
•Photo shows Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola.
Source Daily Sports
Posted March 16, 2017
You may also like...
Tottenham In Race To Sign Eberechi Eze
Man City March Into FA Cup 4th Round...
Every Football Team Has One Gay Player —...
Omeruo set for Chelsea return
Drug test: Shannon Briggs fight with Oquendo to...
Solskjaer Urges United To Find Cutting Edge Against...

Adams calls for urgent reset in Nigerian football
Playing for Nigeria felt like playing for Real Madrid – Arokodare
Playing for Nigeria felt like playing for Real Madrid – Arokodare
NFF opens talks with Osula over Eagles switch
Brume, Okezie join global stars for Kip Keino Classic
NPFL confirms May 24 season end date
NCF proposes elite cricket league
Trump envoy wants Italy to replace Iran at World Cup — Report
Gala intensify Osimhen’s special recovery plan
Core Afrique stages first NBF-sanctioned pro event
Professional, amateur golfers tee off at landmark Edo event
Ndidi resumes training after injury layoff
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,723 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,050 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (52,971 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,567 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,497 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,397 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,250 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,793 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (50,985 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,492 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,905 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,370 views)