Monaco Secures Last-Minute Draw Against Manchester City in Champions League
Eric Dier's composed last-minute penalty secured a Champions League draw for Monaco against Manchester City, despite Erling Haaland's impressive two-goal performance.
Haaland netted a brace in the first half, bringing his tally to 52 goals in just 50 matches in the competition, while City extended their unbeaten streak to six games.
However, the visitors were caught off guard in the 90th minute when Dier converted a penalty, awarded after he was struck in the head by Nico Gonzalez.
Initially, Haaland was quiet, failing to touch the ball in the first 15 minutes. But with his first touch, he connected with Josko Gvardiol's deft pass and expertly lobbed the ball over the advancing Philipp Kohn.
Jordan Teze equalized just three minutes later with a stunning strike from outside the area that flew into the top corner, leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma with no chance.
City controlled possession for much of the match, and Phil Foden came close to regaining the lead when he shifted to his weaker right foot and struck the crossbar.
Though Haaland was somewhat peripheral, he demonstrated his finishing prowess by leaping above Mohammed Salisu to powerfully head in from Nico O'Reilly's cross just before halftime.
Donnarumma made a crucial save in the second half, denying Maghnes Akliouche, but he could not stop Dier's late penalty.
Man City Analysis: Haaland Maintains Hot Streak Despite Frustrating Result
Pep Guardiola's side is slowly rectifying the mistakes of last season, remaining unbeaten since August. However, this result was another disappointment for the team.
The Spaniard expressed his dissatisfaction with last season's performance in this competition, where they were eliminated by Real Madrid in the play-off stage, and will likely be frustrated by conceding late once again.
City has won four and drawn two of their last six matches, but these draws came after conceding in the dying moments—93rd minute at Arsenal and now the 90th minute here. They have also failed to win any of their last five Champions League away games.
Haaland had only 17 touches during the match, yet his remarkable scoring form continued, having only failed to score against Tottenham in ten games this season. Overall, he has netted 17 goals for club and country so far.
His first goal caught former Tottenham defender Dier off guard, as he darted behind the Englishman before delicately finishing. The second was a powerful header that nestled into the bottom corner.
Haaland could have completed his hat-trick in the second half, but Kohn made a superb save to deny his powerful shot from outside the box, as well as O'Reilly's fierce attempt.
Foden, in fine form, was unfortunate not to score, hitting the woodwork, as did Reijnders, and these missed opportunities proved costly.
Monaco Analysis: Home Streak Against English Teams Continues
Monaco previously edged past City on away goals during their only encounter in 2017, which ended 6-6, and Adi Hutter's side managed another notable draw.
The French team was second best for much of the match but held on until the final minute when referee Jesus Gil Manzano reviewed Gonzalez's challenge on Dier before awarding the penalty.
After a lengthy delay of over five minutes due to disputes between the two teams' staff, Dier converted the penalty, sending Donnarumma the wrong way.
Teze's equalizer means that the 2004 finalists have now lost only one of their eight home matches against English teams in this competition.
Former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun could have done better when he stretched for a cross at the far post but missed the target, while on-loan Barcelona forward Ansu Fati struggled to make an impact and was substituted after an hour on his first start for the club.
What’s Next for These Two Sides?
Monaco: Adi Hutter's team will host local rivals Nice in Ligue 1 on Sunday (kick-off at 16:15 BST).
Manchester City: Guardiola's squad will aim to extend their unbeaten run with a trip to Brentford on the same day (kick-off at 16:30 BST).