Hello, and welcome to
Sports Mole's live coverage of the second leg of the
Champions League last-16 tie between AS
Monaco and
Manchester City.
When two teams have come together and put on one of the greatest European matches of all time, it's natural to expect a similar contest when they renew acquaintances but I am predicting that it is going to be a different story this evening. City hold a two-goal lead over their hosts for the evening but with Monaco possessing three away goals, the onus is on City to put in a solid and unspectacular display to get the job done.
That said, it would be foolish of us to completely write off this contest being full of goals. With both teams blessed with plenty of attacking talent, they will be confident of getting on the scoresheet and potentially influencing this match, but we have a feeling that
Pep Guardiola will tinker with his philosophy. For the neutrals, that's a negative, but even Guardiola understands that they cannot afford to be so open at the back this time around.
Anyway, without further ado, let's get cracking with the team news from Stade Louis II. Both managers had some big decisions to make.
MANCHESTER CITY XI: Caballero, Sagna, Stones, Kolarov, Clichy, Fernandinho, Sterling, Silva, De Bruyne, Sane, Aguero
MANCHESTER CITY SUBSTITUTES: Bravo, Zabaleta, Navas, Delph, Otamendi, Yaya Toure, Iheanacho
As you can see, that's an extremely defensive starting lineup from Guardiola...
The Spaniard makes four alterations to the team which began the match at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov and Fernandinho all come into the team, with Claduio Bravo, Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure dropping to the bench. There is no place in the 18-man squad for Vincent Kompany.
AS MONACO XI: Subasic, Jemmerson, Raggi, Sidibe, Mendy, Bakayoko,
Fabinho, Lemar, Silva, Germain, Mbappe
AS MONACO SUBSTITUTES: De Sanctis, Diallo, Toure, Jorge, Moutinho, Dirar, Cardona
Monaco boss
Leonardo Jardim was already aware that he would be without the suspended Kamil Glik, but he and the club have been dealt a huge blow with the news that
Radamel Falcao has failed to shake off an injury. The Colombian forward has netted 21 times in 28 outings in all competitions this season so his influence and contribution will be missed. However, his replacement Valere Germain knows where the back of the net is so City still have to be alert.
We have described the first leg as an
an all-time European classic, so that means that it's worth taking a look back at the goings-on at the Etihad Stadium. There were that many goals it is easy to forget who led and when! Click the link to whet your appetite ahead of this encounter.
Talking of memorable nights, we have to take a look back at what Leicester City achieved last night. Some people will argue that they only faced a 2-1 deficit ahead of a home fixture, but it would be dismissive to base their triumph on that. The Foxes had never featured in a Champions League fixture before this season but they managed to defeat a side in Sevilla who had won their last 12 two-legged ties in Europe. Not only that, they won with a clean sheet - just like they did against Porto earlier in the season.
Click here to take a look back on that game.
We should take a closer look at Valere Germain given the boots he needs to fill tonight. He's bene much more than an understudy to Falcao, though, with the 26-year-old scoring nine times in 22 starts and five substitute appearances for Monaco. He has only netted twice in his last nine outings but his last eight goals for Monaco have come at Stade Louis II.
Monaco have taken part in four fixtures since their trip to the North-West of England and they haven't suffered a defeat. They have only kept one clean sheet during that time but three wins and a draw shows that they have gotten over the disappointment of conceding three goals in the final 20 minutes in Manchester. That remains the only fixture they have lost in 2017.
Much has been made of Manchester City's defence this season and they could have conceded more than three in the first leg. However, they have kept seven clean sheets in their last 11 outings and although they have come against middle-class opposition, it should still create some belief that they are capable of not giving Monaco any hope tonight. It's a surprise to see Otamendi out of the side for a game of this magnitude, but Kolarov has proven to be a solid replacement throughout the campaign.
PREDICTION! We are going to be honest - we have absolutely no idea what the score is going to be. We are going to go with logic and predict a one-goal victory for Monaco, which would mean that City progress into the quarter-finals. We are going for 2-1 to Monaco, with Sterling getting City's goal. He's due one.
The two teams are making their way out at Stade Louis II. There's a real big-match feel to this one. Both goalkeepers look nervous - they made mistakes in the first leg.
Monaco get us underway.
It's been a lively start from both with passes being sprayed about in all areas of the pitch. No chances to speak of this far but it's warming up nicely.
GOAL! AS Monaco 1-0 Manchester City (Mbappe)
Moments after Mbappe saw a one-on-one chance saved by Caballero, the dynamic youngster puts his side ahead. Stones did well to block a shot from Mendy but after
Bernardo Silva drilled in a low cross from the left, Mbappe converted the ball past Caballero from close range.
BOOKING! Caballero throws a silly ball out to Sagna and it's too far in front of him. He proceeds to commit the foul and it's a definite yellow. City are doing themselves no favours here.
Subasic in the Monaco goal is yet to touch the ball with his hands, I think. City are being dispossessed far too easily when they try to create something inside the Monaco half. Mbappe has the ball in the net again but he is adjudged to be offside by half a yard.
SHOT! What are City playing at? They again over-play it in their own half and Monaco have another chance to score a second. This opening falls to Germain but his long-range effort goes over.
As we reach the end of the opening quarter of this game, we are still yet to see anything from City in the final third. They've been extremely poor. Sane or Aguero have barely had a kick. Monaco are pressing for a second in a calculated manner.
City are trying to work the ball out from the back but they can't have had much more than 40% possession in this game. They have lost the ball on countless occasions. The exclusion of Toure looks to be the wrong call.
GOAL! AS Monaco 2-0 Manchester City (Fabinho)
Man City are in a right mess. Monaco continue to pressurise the Premier League side and they eventually net a second through Fabinho, who slots the ball into the net from 12 yards after an excellent driven cross from Mendy.
Fabinho's goal means that City must score to have a chance of going through. They are yet to have a shot so you have to question whether they have it in them to do that, as well as not conceding another.
More attacking play from Monaco earns them a free kick in the corner. The set piece which is delivered into the box is punched clear by Caballero but the home side soon reclaim possession. City must reach half time without conceding a third.
City are defending for their Champions League lives. Kolarov and Stones both have to make goal-stopping blocks in the space of a few seconds. Guardiola surely has to change things at half time.
This isn't quite as bad as Arsenal's two performances against Bayern Munich or Leicester City's capitulation in Porto, but it isn't far off. Still no shots for City. They've not even come close to one.
HALF TIME: AS Monaco 2-0 Manchester City
The half-time whistle goes at Stade Louis II and Monaco deservedly lead thanks to those two goals from Mbappe and Fabinho. They could be further ahead, too, although they still lead on aggregate through away goals. Guardiola must change things at the break or else his time are heading out of the Champions League with a whimper.
City get us back underway.
I'm surprised to see no changes from Guardiola. He probably wants to keep faith in his initial selection but how can you keep everything the same when you haven't had a shot? It's been a quiet start to the second half.
In all fairness, City are showing a bit more intent but I don't think it was possible to play any worse. It will be interesting to see how long Guardiola leaves it until he turns to Toure, although I'm not sure who he would replace.
CHANCE! Raheem! Sterling beats the offside trap and has all the time in the world to either shoot or pass to Aguero. Instead, his attempted cutback to his teammate was intercepted and Monaco cleared. That was a huge opening.
BOOKING! De Bruyne goes into the book for pulling back Fabinho in the middle of the pitch.
BOOKING! Bakayoko follows him in being cautioned after a foul on Fernandinho. Should Monaco progress, he will be out of the first leg.
CHANCE! City are definitely improving but they can't make the most of any of their few openings. Sane did brilliantly down the left before fizzing a ball into Aguero. However, the pass is too fast and Aguero can only direct his effort high over the crossbar.
CHANCE! City were abysmal during the first half but I have no idea how they haven't scored in this second period. Silva produces a mesmeric piece of play to set up Aguero but despite being able to take a touch, he fires too close to Subasic from 12 yards.
CHANCE! Now Sane gets played through on goal down the left but his effort towards the near post goes into the side-netting. You can't blame him for going it alone with Aguero and Sterling failing to make the most of opportunities since the restart.
SUBSTITUTION! Monaco decide to make their first change after an injury to Raggi. Almamy Toure is on in his place.
GOAL! As Monaco 2-1 Manchester City (Sane)
City are back in front in this tie! It all comes through Sterling, who dances his way into the box before seeing a low shot saved by Subasic but the ball falls to Sane who shoots high into an empty net. All the pressure is now on Monaco.
BOOKING! Sterling is rather harshly booked for a tackle on
Bernardo Silva when he got the ball. He will miss the first leg of the quarter-finals should City get through.
GOAL! As Monaco 3-1 Manchester City (Bakayoko)
As Monaco are back in front in the tie! Their third goal has come from a set piece, too, with Lemar's inswinging free kick finding the run of Bakayoko and his header into the bottom corner leaves Caballero with no chance.
SUBSTITUTION! Monaco make a second alteration with Joao Moutinho replacing Mbappe. City have offered nothing since conceding a third.
SUBSTITUTION! Kelechi Iheanacho has been introduced by Guardiola, with Clichy making way.
I'm not too sure City have much left. Even with another man in attack, Monaco are in control of this game now and if anything, they are going to score on the break.
BOOKING! Germain receives a yellow for a lunge on a City player. It's purely out of exhaustion.
There will be three minutes of added-on time.
BOOKING! Lemar is now booked for a foul on De Bruyne. This free kick is likely to be City's last chance.
It goes straight to Subasic. That's surely game over.
FULL TIME: AS Monaco 3-1 Manchester City
The full-time whistle goes in Monte Carlo and City are out of the Champions League on away goals. They improved during that second half but based on the tie as a whole, Monaco deserve to go through to the quarter-finals. Huge disappointment for Guardiola and his players.
That will be all from Sports Mole for this match. Thank you for joining us this evening and we hope to see you again for the Europa League tomorrow night. Goodbye for now.