Monaco stunned Manchester City to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, 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 in Manchester, 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.
Bakayoko, however, headed home in the 77th minute to ensure the Ligue 1 club were celebrating at fulltime after the tie finished 6-6 over two enthralling encounters.
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.
Leonardo Jardim’s team started brightly and pressed high as Mbappe’s pace forced City to sit deep.
The 18-year-old then opened the scoring, turning in Silva’s low cross from the left from close range after eight minutes.
City barely set foot in Monaco’s half and in the 29th minute, Fabinho fired home from Benjamin Mendy’s inch-perfect centre.
City were looking to hit Monaco on the break, but the hosts managed to keep wingers Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling in their own half.
The visitors, who failed to have a shot in the first half, gained some control early in the second as they played higher up the pitch and pegged their opponents back.
Andrea Raggi made a crucial interception to deny Sergio Aguero, who had been teed up by Sterling, and Subasic then produced a superb save to deny the Argentine striker in a one-on-one.
Monaco were suffering before City reduced the arrears in the 71st minute when Sterling’s shot was parried by Subasic into the path of Sane, who fired into the roof of the net.
That put City in front on aggregate, but Monaco turned the tie back in their favour six minutes later when Bakayoko headed home from a Thomas Lemar free kick.
Match sheet:
3 – Monaco: Subasic; Sidibé, Raggi, Jemerson, Mendy; Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, Bakayoko, Lemar; Germain (Dirar, m.91), Mbappé (Moutinho, m.81)
1 – Manchester City: Caballero; Sagna, Stones, Clicy (Iheanacho, m.84), Kolarov; Sané, Fernandinho, David Silva; De Bruyne, Agüero, Sterling.
Goals: 1-0, m.7: Mbappé; 2-0, m.29: Fabinho; 2-1, m.71: Sané; 3-1, m.77: Bakayoko.
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi. Yellow cards for Bakayoko, Lemar and Germain (Monaco) and Sagna, De Bruyne, Sterling (City)
Stadium: Luis II
Attendance: 16,000 spectators
