Monaco vs. Valencia: Winners and Losers from Champions League Playoff
Valencia advanced to the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League group stage by finishing off a 4-3 aggregate victory over Monaco on Tuesday in the playoff round. The home side took the second leg 2-1, but Valencia survived thanks to a 3-1 victory last week in Spain.
Needing a great result to stay alive, Monaco started poorly, conceding a goal in the fourth minute as Alvaro Negredo netted a deft chip following a giveaway. The hosts hit back through Andrea Raggi and Elderson but were unable to score for a third time, which would have sent the tie to extra time.
Here, B/R selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Alvaro Negredo
1 of 5
Known affectionately as "The Beast" for his size and physicality, Alvaro Negredo scored a beauty of a goal for Valencia that turned out to make the difference in the tie.
In the fourth minute, the former Manchester City striker pounced on a poor pass in Monaco's half and quickly advanced on goal. With Andrea Raggi approaching to defend, Negredo chipped a gorgeous shot over Danijel Subasic and into the net for the opening goal.
Valencia could not have envisioned a better start, and after Monaco scored the next two goals, Negredo's tally represented the tie-winning strike. The player himself will be pleased to have made an instant impact on the starting XI after entering the first leg as a substitute.
Loser: Fabinho
2 of 5
Fabinho was guilty of making the poor pass that gave Negredo the golden opportunity to score. As noted in the previous slide, the error led to a goal that eventually made the difference over two legs.
That must be a painful realization for Monaco, who won the match and would have advanced to the group stage if only the defense had kept a clean sheet. Instead, Leonardo Jardim's team conceded early and thus had a difficult task for 86 minutes.
Down 3-1 on aggregate only four minutes into the second leg, it turned out to be an insurmountable deficit. Fabinho and Monaco must be disappointed that one bad moment proved so critical.
Winner: La Liga
3 of 5
Valencia's aggregate victory meant La Liga will have five teams in the Champions League group stage this season. No country has ever done that before.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid qualified via their league positions last season (Barca also could have qualified as defending champions), while Sevilla secured a spot as Europa League winners.
England might have had five teams in 2012-13, but rules at the time did not allow more than four teams from one country in the group stage. Chelsea won the Champions League title in 2011-12 but finished sixth in the Premier League that season. The Blues claimed England's fourth Champions League slot for 2012-13 in place of fourth-place Premier League finisher Tottenham Hotspur.
Sending five teams to the group stage highlights La Liga's lofty status in European competition. Each of the last two Champions League winners (Real Madrid and Barcelona) have come from Spain, and Sevilla lifted the Europa League trophy in back-to-back seasons. At the moment, Spain's top flight has a strong claim as Europe's best league.
As for Valencia, though, progress will be difficult in the group stage. Nuno Espirito Santo's team deserve credit for beating Monaco but will have to tighten up defensively in order to move on to the knock-out round.
As writer Dermot Corrigan noted on Twitter, Valencia are probably "least likely of Spain's five teams to do damage in knock-out rounds. Unless they add a few players."
On the other hand, Valencia thrilled over two legs by scoring four goals and starting both games with early strikes. Progression to the knock-out round might be too much to ask, but Valencia likely will entertain.
Loser: Monaco
4 of 5
Monaco advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals last season, eliminating Arsenal in the round of 16. After a third-place finish in Ligue 1 last season, manager Leonardo Jardim must have been aiming to make further progress in Europe, but that won't happen this season.
Part of the blame lies with the tough draw. In Valencia, Monaco drew one of the toughest opponents possible in the playoff round. But Jardim's side will be disappointed with the manner of the exit. In both legs, Monaco conceded early goals and had to play catch-up against a team that attacks well. It turned out to be a losing formula.
Monaco will now head to the Europa League, and Champions League qualification is the reward for the winners of the competition next spring. Will Jardim and his team make a deep run in the second-tier competition? Only time will tell.
Winner: Thomas Lemar
5 of 5
Midfielder Thomas Lemar entered the match as a substitute in the 52nd minute and quickly gave Monaco a spark.
The 19-year-old's dangerous free kick led to Monaco's second goal, which was finished by Elderson following a scramble in the 75th minute. Eight minutes later, Lemar forced Mathew Ryan into a good save with a rasping shot from long distance.
It wasn't enough to keep Monaco in the Champions League, but Lemar showed plenty of promise with his cameo appearance.
"Martial got all the plaudits first leg, but Lemar has been outstanding tonight for Monaco. If there's any justice, he'll get some praise," BeIN Sports' David Cartlidge noted on Twitter.
