Valencia took big strides into reaching the Champions League Group Stages after an emphatic 3-1 win over French side Monaco. Rodrigo gave the hosts the lead within four minutes, before Mario Pasalic equalised for the Ligue 1 side 3 minutes after the restart. However Daniel Parejo and Sofiane Feghouli put the game to bed in the second half, and Valencia look set to be in the draw for the Champions League Group Stage.
Early goal gives hosts
Valencia started the Champions League Qualifier off with a flyer as Rodrigo gave the hosts an early lead in the fourth minute of the match. Jose Gaya brilliantly picked out Sofiane Feghouli unmarked in the penalty box after both Monaco centre backs failed to pick out the dangerous winger. Feghouli headed the ball across the face of goal to an open Rodrigo, who simply tapped the ball past a helpless Danijel Subasic from four yards out, to give Els Taronges the perfect start.
Monaco responded well to their earlier shock as Andrea Raggi sent in a great cross to pick out Anthony Martial in the Valencia box, however the Monaco number 9 could not reach the perfect cross in time, and the ball flew out for a goal kick. The Monaco defence looked to have finally take it’s shape after 20 minutes of play as Feghouli was causing multiple problems for the Ligue 1 visitors down the right wing, however Uwa Elderson did well for the majority of the first half to contain the Algerian winger.
Jose Gaya was proving to be a menace for Monaco down the left wing as the full back came close to doubling Valencia’s lead in the 30th minute. The promising Spaniard drilled a powerful cross aimed for Paco Alcacer, however the cross missed Alcacer, and almost found it’s way into the back of the net, had it not been for Subasic’s good reaction save.
Monaco nearly score
Monaco came close to scoring an equaliser as Bernardo Silva’s darting run fooled the Valencia defence easily, the winger then had a crack at goal from inside the box, but Matthew Ryan pulled off a fantastic save to tip the ball onto the post, and the ball flew back into play, and the ball was eventually cleared from danger.
Martial thought he had grabbed the equaliser and the vital away goal in the 38th minute after the Frenchman back heeled a Silva cross from close range, Ryan spilt the save back to Martial, who blasted the ball into the rood of the net, however the flag was already up for offside and Martial’s celebrations were cut short.
Monaco responded in the perfect fashion as the second half kicked off as Mario Pasalic equalised for the visitors just three minutes into the second half. The goal came from Martial, who did brilliant to take out two Valencia defenders down the left wing Martial’s cross wasn’t dealt with, and the on-loan midfielder from Chelsea took the defensive error well, and slotted the ball under Ryan, to equalise for Monaco.
Captain regains Valencia's lead
However Monaco’s celebrations didn’t last long as the Valencia captain, Daniel Parejo, equalised for the hosts just nine minutes later in the 58th minute. Pablo Piatti controlled a cross from Feghouli inside the box with beautiful technique, allowing the ball to fall perfectly to Parejo, who fired the ball low and hard past Subasic, with a little bit of help from a deflection from close range, to restore Valencia’s lead.
The match entered a quite period as both teams looked to have been struck with tiredness and fatigue, as the two sides looked slow on going on the attack. Monaco added to their already impressive strike force by bringing on attacking players Fares Bahouli and Stephen El Shaarway for the final 15 minutes of the match.
However Monaco’s fresh legs couldn’t stop Valencia from adding a third goal, as Feghouli sealed the game for the hosts with five minutes to go. After a messy corner method looked to have been wasted by the hosts, Feghouli sprinted into the penalty box to attack the lose ball, and the Algerian winger brilliantly half-volleyed the ball past a motionless Subasic, to make it 3-1 to Valencia.
Despite the a two goal defecate, Monaco will only need to score two goals in the return leg at home to make into the Group Stages of the Champions League, due to the away goal ruling.