Champions League: Monaco 1 (Singo 8) Aston Villa 0
In the playground of the rich and famous, Aston Villa left Monaco counting the cost of a sluggish start.
Villa roused but never truly recovered from Wilfried Singo’s early headed goal and their hopes of automatically qualifying for the last 16 will go down to the wire when Celtic visit next week.
An hour before kick-off Unai Emery was serenaded by the Villa supporters stationed under the iconic arches of this stadium on the French Riviera but this was a rare night when his side fell flat, a mirror-image of their result at Club Brugge in November and reminiscent, too, of that pale performance.
Emery handed Emi Buendía a surprise start, his first since a Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace in October, and only third of the season in all competitions. Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey also returned to the starting line-up but the latter was ineffective and withdrawn 11 minutes into the second half, with Jhon Durán entering in search of a Villa equaliser.
Bailey was not the only one who struggled, though Villa did stir after going behind on eight minutes.
Takumi Minamino intercepted Tyrone Mings’s loose pass out from defence, forcing Ezri Konsa to make a block and Monaco struck from Lamine Camara’s subsequent corner.
Emiliano Martínez, whose every touch was jeered by the locals for his World Cup final antics against France in Qatar, repelled Thilo Kehrer’s initial header but was powerless to prevent Songo heading in close to the goalline.
A few minutes later Martínez made a smart save to prevent Maghnes Akliouche’s first-time effort fizzing into the top corner after the forward met Eliesse Ben Seghir’s squared pass.
It was Bailey who had Villa’s first effort of note, off-balance forcing Radoslaw Majecki into a save. Buendía rolled the ball into Bailey and, falling, he got a left-foot shot away which was pawed over by the Monaco goalkeeper.
Buendía was a bright spark for Villa. He squeezed a pass through under pressure for Ollie Watkins in the final minute of first-half stoppage time, but Majecki got a strong right glove to it.
Monaco should have doubled their lead with the final phase of the first half but the lively Akliouche scooped his shot over at the end of a swift counterattack.
Villa finished the first period brightly but the introduction of Durán, who formed a lesser-spotted partnership with Watkins in attack, failed to increase the workload for the Monaco defence.
Morgan Rogers sent a shot wide early in the second half and Matty Cash sent a comfortable header at Majecki from Digne’s hanging cross. But the best opportunity was missed by Monaco.
After latching on to a neat Akliouche through ball, Takumi Minamino selfishly went in pursuit of goal when he had Breel Embolo free to his left. It was Villa, though, who left wondering what might have been. – Guardian
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