European Champions League

Monaco 2 - Valencia 1

Monaco: Subasic; Fabinho, Raggi, Carvalho, Kurzawa (Elderson 62‘); Bernardo Silva, Toulalan, Pasalic (Lemar 52‘), Dirar, Martial, Cavaleiro (Carrillo 64‘). 4-3-3.
Valencia: Mat Ryan, Barragán, Mustafi, Rubén Vezo, Gayà; Enzo Pérez (Danilo Barbosa 77’), Javi Fuego, Dani Parejo; Feghouli, Negredo (Paco Alcácer 60’), Rodrigo (Piatti 65’). 4-3-3.

Goals:
0-1. 04. Negredo. Intercepted Fabinho back pass and lobbed shot over keeper.
1-1. 17. Raggi. Picked up ball on edge of area and beat Ryan with shot on turn
2-1. 75. Elderson. From close up after Ryan pushed free kick against Carrillo.

Valencia made it through to the league stage of the competition after beating Monaco 4-3 on aggregate in the play-off round. Once again the Ches got off to the best possible start, Subasic having to clear off the line from Mustafi before Negredo intercepted a bad back pass and ran chrough to lob an angled shot over the keeper into the far top corner of the net. The striker went close again soon afterwards, but the locals fought back, and Raggi equalized with a shot on the turn after Ryan could only punch a free kick up in the air. With a quarter of an hour to go a long free kick sneaked past everyone, and although Ryan got a hand across to keep it out, the ball came back off Carrillo for Elderson to score from close to goal (possibly in an offside position). That meant that Monaco only needed one goal to take the match to extra time, but the visitors held for a nail-biting six minutes of injury time to make it five Spanish clubs in Thursday evening’s league stage draw for the first time ever.