AS Monaco Narrowly Defeated by Benfica in Champions League Playoff

In a tightly contested Champions League playoff at Stade Louis-II, AS Monaco fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Benfica. The game, closely watched by club president Dmitry Rybolovlev, was crucial for Monaco as they sought to make amends following a previous setback against the same Portuguese opponents.

The match saw Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche making early inroads, but Benfica managed to maintain their defensive solidity. The game's dynamic shifted shortly after halftime when Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis exploited a defensive error to score, shortly followed by a contentious red card for Moatasem Al-Musrati, reducing Monaco to ten men. Despite a resilient display from goalkeeper Radosław Majecki, Monaco struggled to penetrate Benfica’s staunch defense, with Denis Zakaria nearly scoring an equalizer.

The loss leaves Monaco facing a significant challenge in the second leg at Estádio da Luz scheduled for Tuesday, February 18. The team must deliver an almost flawless performance away from home to revive their aspirations of progressing in the Champions League.