Huge blow for Aston Villa as they come unstuck against Monaco
The older i get, the calmer i have become where Aston Villa are concerned. Yes, I still get very excitable when we win against the odds and deeply upset when we massively under perform. It is the reason I often don’t right match reports on the same day of a game – emotions are running high. Time is generally a healer but last nights performance really annoyed me.
Im not stupid or delusional to expect Aston Villa to beat anyone in the Champions League. Monaco are a well experienced European side and despite having a young squad, they showed their experience last night.
Villa on the other hand have underperformed (in my opinion) for the majority of this season but we have found ways to win games and still have an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League through the Premier League for a second season running.
Last night however was another below par performance from a team that seems to be sleep walking through an experience some of those players may never experience again in their professional careers. A win last night would have all buy secured a place in the last sixteen, instead defeat means we need to beat Celtic when they come to Villa park next week and hope other results go our way, otherwise we will have to play in a last 32 tie. A game the majority of clubs in the Champions League could do without.
Report: Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa
It was far from a classic. In fact, I pitty any neutrals who got home from work and tuned in.
Unai Emery handed starts to Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and more surprising Emi Buendia as Jacob Ramsey and Ian Maatsen dropped to the bench while Amadou Onana missed out through injury.
It was a cagey start but the visitors probably should have taken the lead early on when a cross found Bailey but he failed to make a decent connection with the ball as his headed effort was saved comfortably by Radosław Majecki.
Moments later, the hosts scored the only goal of the game. A mistake from Tyrone Mings lead to a corner where Thilo Kehrer headed a powerful shot towards goal and despite Emi Martínez making a fine reaction save, Wilfried Singo headed home from close range.
Monaco pressed Villa high, something we have struggled with throughout this season and nearly doubled their lead through Maghnes Akliouche but Martínez was able to push it around his post.
It wasn’t as one way as it sounded in the first half and Villa did have chances of their own. Digne forced Majecki into a save from a free-kick on the edge of the box and then a few minutes later the Polish goalkeeper was forced into a one-handed save from Bailey.
The best save of the game come in extra time of the first half when Majecki made a fingertip stop when Ollie Watkins broke through.
Changes were made in the second half including the introduction of Jhon Durán who played alongside Watkins but Villa seemed to lose their attacking threat as Monaco comfortably saw the game out.