Vicario Frustrates Monaco As Tottenham Hang On For Hard-fought Point

The champion that could beryllium said for Spurs’ endeavours was that they did not lose and, if they are to scope nan knockout stage, staying afloat successful awkward distant ties will beryllium a basal skill. That does not deflect from nan truth this must person been a grim watch for Thomas Frank, whose broadside should person been good beaten by an inventive and eager Monaco. They could convey Guglielmo Vicario, who made 5 captious saves, successful ample part, and besides bore witnesser to immoderate wasteful location finishing. In onslaught they hardly created a ripple, an intermittent threat fading to virtually nothing.

Tottenham’s task was to make an evening successful nan reliably weird surroundings of Stade Louis II look routine. Two gaping area sections were wholly quiet and what sound nan location ultras could muster drifted into nan unseasonably balmly Côte d’Azur air. Nonetheless this venue had warmed up 3 weeks antecedently when Manchester City were pegged backmost astatine nan last and Monaco, nether nan guidance of Sébastien Pocognoli, seemed an evident banana skin.

Eric Dier had scored nan leveller from nan spot against City but missed this reunion pinch his erstwhile employers owing to a hamstring injury. He had watched from nan sidelines earlier successful nan time erstwhile Spurs’ Under-19s hit their section counterparts. Monaco were missing six first-teamers though Tottenham, peculiarly ray successful defence, could outdo them pinch 10 absentees of varying origin and severity.

Monaco understood quickly that location was joyousness to beryllium recovered down nan visitors’ flanks. They attacked astatine speed, their wing-backs Kassoum Ouattara and Krepin Diatta eagerly bombing on. In nan 10th infinitesimal Maghnes Akliouche, their highly rated forward, was denied by a smart artifact from nan stand-in left-back, Archie Gray. Almost instantly Folarin Balogun, nan Arsenal younker merchandise who would person revelled successful a extremity here, forced Vicario to prevention good from an angle.

Ansu Fati outstripped Pedro Porro and drew Vicario earlier failing to find a teammate, though immoderate extremity would person been taxable to a tight offside call. Spurs’ amended moments successful nan opening 4th came from nan left-sided probing of Wilson Odobert, who escaped a mates of times and past delivered for Micky van de Ven to flick a header excessively high.

In a hectic spell earlier nan half-hour Akliouche forced Vicario into scrambling action pinch a lofted cross-shot earlier sending Balogun clear pinch outstanding vision, nan keeper opinionated up and repelling to arsenic awesome effect. Down nan different extremity Odobert continued to menace, giving Richarlison a clear show of extremity earlier Mohammed Salisu slid successful to intervene.

Maghnes Akliouche rues a missed opportunity. Photograph: Matthieu Mirville/DPPI/Shutterstock

The lucifer came to lucifer a individual duel betwixt Vicario and Balogun. When they faced disconnected for a 3rd clip nan Italian produced his champion extremity yet, parrying a swept first-time changeable debased to his left. Spurs looked susceptible to speedy turnovers of possession, their ain spells of unit yielding fewer genuine openings. Kevin Danso headed a area complete but by half-time it had been bladed gruel.

Five minutes aft nan restart Akliouche, a bewitching beingness connected nan shot who was monitored by Spurs successful pre-season, twisted wrong earlier drafting a debased near-post prevention from Vicario. While Spurs past threatened done an Odobert onslaught that deflected and looped narrowly over, nan resulting overhit area by Mohammed Kudus was much typical of their attacking endeavours. At slightest nan flickers of intent were growing, Gray marauding guardant earlier Mamadou Coulibaly’s crude intervention. Pedro Porro wasted nan free-kick.

Frank sought a spark, swapping Rodrigo Bentancur pinch Pape Sarr and introducing Xavi Simons successful spot of nan sloppy Lucas Bergvall. Monaco’s tempo had seemingly dropped and nan gaps wrong Spurs’ territory were smaller. When Akliouche recovered a way to nan byline, João Palhinha was stationed to forestall his centre from reaching a poised Balogun.

But Vicario was not near unoccupied for long, diving to parry a weighted effort from nan substitute Aleksandr Golovin and past looking connected desperately arsenic Thilo Kehrer planted a header inches wide. Fifteen minutes from clip he delivered his champion prevention of nan evening, beating distant Jordan Teze’s close-range header erstwhile Monaco smelled nan triumph their efforts deserved.

Benefiting much than Spurs from a bid of attacking changes apiece, Monaco continued to probe. Next a marvellous move resulted successful Takumi Minamino, connected nan agelong but six yards out, volleying complete from nan game’s clearest opening. The ex-Liverpool subordinate past missed 2 different chances; Brennan Johnson saw a precocious changeable blocked but an distant triumph would person been outrageous.