The days of the Champions League follow one another and are not alike for AS Monaco. Author of a choice entry into the running two weeks ago with a victory against FC Barcelona (2-1), the Rocher club this time experienced all the difficulties in the world to snatch a point from a draw on Wednesday evening (2 -2), on the pitch of Dinamo Zagreb. Trailing by two goals, Adi Hutter’s men still found the strength of character necessary to save the furniture.
Faced with a Croatian team which had been spanked by Bayern Munich a fortnight ago (9-2), the Monegasques perhaps thought they would come out quite easily, but that was without counting on Dinamo’s desire to show that he was not in C1 by chance. Under heavy rain and on a waterlogged lawn, ASM nevertheless took the game into their own hands, with possession of the ball largely in their favor throughout the game (61%). However, she was surprised just before the break, on a smooth counter-attack led by Martin Baturina and concluded by Petar Sucic (1-0, 45th + 3).
Zakaria did not tremble
A first shot behind the head for the Monegasques, before a second shortly after the hour mark, this time with this devil from Baturina at the conclusion (2-0, 66th). Everything then seemed to go badly wrong for the visitors. And yet. On a set piece, Monaco first reduced the gap through Mohammed Salisu (2-1, 74th). Then a second twist of fate intervened following a foul by Dinamo’s French defender, Maxime Bernauer, on Folarin Balogun in the Croatian area. The penalty was transformed by captain Denis Zakaria (2-2, 90th).
At the final whistle, the Monegasques made no mistake by raising their arms, as if they had won. This draw in any case allows them to remain in the qualifying places, they who are now fourteenth. Dinamo Zagreb grabs a few places and finds itself twenty-eighth. In two weeks, Monaco will host Red Star Belgrade.
