Monaco vs. Tottenham: Winners and Losers from Europa League Game
Tottenham Hotspur claimed another point in UEFA Europa League Group J following a 1-1 draw at Monaco on Thursday.
Erik Lamela fired the visitors in front in the 35th minute, finishing from close range after Danijel Subasic could only parry Dele Alli's shot. Spurs looked set for an away win, but Monaco rallied in the second half and equalized through substitute Stephan El Shaarawy nine minutes from time.
"We are disappointed and it is two points lost," Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said, per BBC Sport. "We could have been more clinical, (but) I am happy with the display and effort."
The draw kept Tottenham atop Group J with four points through two games. Monaco are currently third with two points.
Here, we select winners and losers from Thursday's match.
Winner: Erik Lamela
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Erik Lamela scored Tottenham's lone goal from close range, following up on the rebound after Dele Alli had forced Danijel Subasic into a save. The Argentine started the sequence himself with an excellent bit of skill, and he'll be happy to have scored again as he continues his fine start to the season.
According to Squawka, Lamela has been involved directly in five goals in eight appearances for Tottenham this campaign. Such a stat bodes well for the season ahead as Spurs seek to compete on multiple fronts.
Lamela's time in England got off to a slow start but has been more influential of late for Mauricio Pochettino's side. There's no doubting the Argentine's talents, and if he continues to improve, he could become a real force for his club.
Winner: Dele Alli
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Dele Alli entered Thursday's match with the knowledge that he had received his first call-up to the senior England team. The 19-year-old celebrated with a fine display against Monaco.
His lively performance was a bright spot for Spurs, and it made England manager Roy Hodgson look good for choosing to bring the youngster into his squad.
At BBC Sport, Shamoon Hafez wrote:
"The former MK Dons man is strong enough to handle the physical side of the game and, despite his age, showed maturity in dealing with his defensive responsibilities. He worked hard to win back the ball, as well as making a crucial block on the edge of the area in the first half.
Offensively, his crisp forward passing and neat footwork put Tottenham on the front foot on numerous occasions, but most impressive was his composure in the opposition penalty area.
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At just 19, the best is yet to come for Alli. That's an exciting prospect for Tottenham.
Loser: Monaco's Fans
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Watching Thursday's match, one couldn't help but notice the poor turnout at Monaco's Stade Louis II.
Ahead of kickoff, the Press Association's Simon Peach tweeted a photo that provided a good view of all the empty seats in the stadium, noting sardonically that the home fans had "turned out in droves."
During the match, the goalkeepers were clearly audible in shouting instructions to their teammates. Hearing such intimate details of a game can be interesting for diehards, but it also made for an atmosphere that felt more like a training match than a European night.
Loser: Lacina Traore
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Lacina Traore scored in Monaco's previous Europa League match, a 1-1 draw with Anderlecht. He couldn't find the back of the net this time, and in fact, the 6'8" Ivorian appeared rather clueless at times in the front line.
In 68 minutes on the pitch, Traore strayed offside five times—or two times more than he managed to take a shot. Of those three shots, he missed the target twice (stats via UEFA.com).
With Monaco looking to replace the departed Anthony Martial, Traore failed to take advantage of an opportunity to impress on Thursday night.
Winners: Stephan El Shaarawy and Nabil Dirar
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Stephan El Shaarawy's career has gone off track since his promising early days at AC Milan. But he scored an important goal as a substitute for Monaco on Thursday night.
He's starting to make a habit of that. As WhoScored.com noted, both of the Italian forward's goals so far for Monaco have come in European competition.
But while El Shaarawy deserves credit for his equalizer in a super-sub role, fellow substitute Nabil Dirar should receive praise for serving as the spark. The Moroccan provided the assist for El Shaarawy's goal with a superb cross from deep on the right, and he came close to scoring soon after with a rasping shot that gave Hugo Lloris fits.
With more time on the pitch, perhaps the two substitutes could have pulled out a win for Monaco.
