Monaco Stun Man City to Reach Champions League Quarters
PARIS (Dispatches) - Monaco have stunned Manchester City to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, overturning a two-goal first-leg deficit with a 3-1 victory in a pulsating clash to go through on away goals.
French prodigy Kylian Mbappe, Fabinho and Tiemoue Bakayoko scored for Monaco on a memorable European night for the principality club, who underlined their growing status as one of the continent’s most exciting sides.
City, who won the first leg 5-3, were completely overwhelmed in the first half and fell two goals behind, but reacted after the break and Leroy Sane reduced the arrears as Monaco seemed to run out of steam.
Monaco, who were without the injured Radamel Falcao, are the only French side left in the competition after Paris St Germain were knocked out by Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg on Wednesday.
Slovenia international Oblak made an outstanding triple save to deny Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland in the second half and he made further impressive stops late in the game to shut out the Germans and secure a 4-2 aggregate success.
Atletico had the better of the first half and it took a top- class save from Oblak’s opposite number Bernd Leno to prevent Angel Correa giving Atletico the lead before the break, flying to his left to tip away a goalbound shot.
The impressive Correa nearly crafted an outstanding goal in the second half but could not find the target while top scorer Antoine Griezmann also came close to putting Atletico out of sight, sending a classy chip just wide.
French prodigy Kylian Mbappe, Fabinho and Tiemoue Bakayoko scored for Monaco on a memorable European night for the principality club, who underlined their growing status as one of the continent’s most exciting sides.
City, who won the first leg 5-3, were completely overwhelmed in the first half and fell two goals behind, but reacted after the break and Leroy Sane reduced the arrears as Monaco seemed to run out of steam.
Monaco, who were without the injured Radamel Falcao, are the only French side left in the competition after Paris St Germain were knocked out by Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg on Wednesday.
Slovenia international Oblak made an outstanding triple save to deny Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland in the second half and he made further impressive stops late in the game to shut out the Germans and secure a 4-2 aggregate success.
Atletico had the better of the first half and it took a top- class save from Oblak’s opposite number Bernd Leno to prevent Angel Correa giving Atletico the lead before the break, flying to his left to tip away a goalbound shot.
The impressive Correa nearly crafted an outstanding goal in the second half but could not find the target while top scorer Antoine Griezmann also came close to putting Atletico out of sight, sending a classy chip just wide.