Champions League

[monks data]

Champions League | Playoff Round

Aug 25, 2015 at 7.45pm UK

Monaco Monaco
2-1
Valencia

Raggi (17'), Carrillo (75')

FT(HT: 1-1)

Negredo (4')

Half-Time Report: Andrea Raggi restores slim Monaco hope

By Shane Callaghan, Reporter | 25 August 2015

Valencia hold Monaco to a 1-1 half-time draw to leave the Ligue 1 side needing a spirited second-half display in order to reach the Champions League group stages.

Andrea Raggi restored AS Monaco's faint hopes of reaching the Champions League group stages after holding Valencia to a 1-1 half-time draw at Stade Louis II tonight.

Mario Pasalic's strike in last Wednesday's 3-1 defeat at the Mestalla gave Leonardo Jardim's side an ace up the sleeve in the form of an away goal.

However, Alvaro Negredo struck after four minutes tonight to remove that element from the equation as the Spaniards boasted a commanding 4-1 aggregate lead.

In an end-to-end encounter, Monaco soon found themselves level as Raggi levelled up on the night to restore the hosts' slim hopes of reaching the Champions League proper.

The pendulum swung in Valencia's favour and the visitors should have added a second on 24 minutes when the unmarked Dani Parejo headed over from seven yards out.

It proved the last action of what finished as a cagey half as Monaco - quarter-finalists last term - stare down the barrel of an early exit.