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Monaco
Europa League | Group Stage
Oct 1, 2015 at 6pm UK
 
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1-1

FT(HT: 0-1)
Lamela (35')

Live Commentary: AS Monaco 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur - as it happened

Take a look back at how AS Monaco and Tottenham Hotspur shared the points with Sports Mole's text coverage of the Europa League clash at the Stade Louis II.
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Tottenham Hotspur made it four points from two Group J games by playing out a 1-1 draw with AS Monaco in the Europa League.

Mauricio Pochettino's side looked comfortable for long spells and led thanks to Erik Lamela's goal in the first half at the Stade Louis II.

Monaco fought back well late on and Stephan El Shaarawy came off the bench to score an 81st-minute equaliser, but Spurs did enough to stay top of the group.

Find out how the action unfolded below.


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Good evening everyone! The Europa League continues tonight and this might be the pick of the games on matchday two as AS Monaco host Tottenham Hotspur at Stade Louis II. Spurs were victorious in their opening Group J fixture, while Monaco settled for a point. Who will come out on top tonight?

After a worrying start saw Spurs trail to FK Qarabag two weeks ago, Spurs responded well to claim a 3-1 victory with a brace from Son Heung-min and a goal from Erik Lamela. It was the perfect start for Mauricio Pochettino's side, but the tests only get tougher now as they face a Monaco side always confident on their home turf.

Monaco have been below-par in Ligue 1 this season and currently sit ninth in the table, but their performances in the Champions League a few months back prove just how dangerous they can be in Europe. A 1-1 draw with Anderlecht was certainly not a bad start to their campaign and they will be confident tonight as they continue to deal with the loss of some key players in the summer.

MONACO: Subasic; Fabinho, Coentrao, Carvalho, Raggi; Toulalan, Moutinho, A.Traore; Silva, Lemar; L.Traore
SUBS: Nardi, Wallace, Dirar, Bakayoko, Pasalic, Carrillo, El Shaarawy

The mood is not as high in the Monaco camp as Leonardo Jardim may like, but this really is a strong-looking side, despite the men they lost in the summer. Lacina Traore is selected to lead the line for the hosts with support from Thomas Lemar and the highly-rated Bernardo Silva. Joao Moutinho, who was rumoured to be close to joining Spurs before his 2013 switch to Monaco, was missing earlier in the campaign but he starts in the centre of midfield, while Stephan El Shaarawy is on the bench.

SPURS: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Alli, Dier; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane
SUBS: Vorm, Fazio, Wimmer, Carroll, Clinton, Townsend, Winks

We're used to seeing Spurs make nine or 10 changes for the Europa League, but Pochettino has decided to go with a strong lineup after their 4-1 triumph over Manchester City at the weekend. Three players come in for the visitors, with Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier replacing fellow full-backs Kyle Walker and Ben Davies. There is a change further up the pitch, too, as Nacer Chadli takes Son's spot after the summer signing was ruled out for at least the next couple of weeks with a foot injury. Andros Townsend, Clinton N'Jie and Tom Carroll are among the substitutes.

Dele Alli starts tonight after being handed a spot in the England squad for the first time. He has been so impressive since joining from MK Dons, and as the statistic below shows, he is usually a busy man.


These two sides have never met in a competitive fixture, but Monaco were successful against North London opposition last season. A superb display at the Emirates Stadium earned them a 3-1 victory over Arsenal in the last-16 of the Champions League and not even a 2-0 loss in the reverse fixture could stop Monaco from earning a surprise spot in the quarter-finals.

Monaco's Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov (R) celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg football match against Arsenal  on February 25, 2015© Getty Images


Speaking to BT Sport a few moments ago, Pochettino said: "We arrive in a very good moment. We will try to win, the Europa League is a very important competition for us."

Mauricio Pochettino manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on August 8, 2015© Getty Images

"Monaco have very good players, we expect a tough game tonight. They have a mix of experience and young players with good quality."


The two players are out on the pitch in the rain at the Stade Louis II. OK, the weather might not be great, but can you think of a nicer away game in Europe? It is hardly a fiery atmosphere in Monaco. Kickoff is just a few moments away.

KICKOFF! Monaco get the game underway. 8,000 expected tonight, but it certainly doesn't look like that many supporters are in the ground yet. Spurs immediately pressing high up the pitch as Lamela concedes an early free kick,

Monaco win an early corner. All 7ft 8in of Lacina Traore would be the obvious target, but it's Raggi who fails to make firm contact with a header at the back post.

Good football from Spurs. Dier finds Eriksen, who sends the ball out wide to Trippier. The cross is delivered into a good area, but Carvalho turns the ball behind for a corner. Spurs looking comfortable in possession now.

Lacina Traore looks to break free but he is caught offside when the long ball comes forward. Spurs do not really need to worry about the big striker running away from them, but he will bring Silva and Lemar into the game with his hold-up play.

Monaco keep the ball for an extended spell and Coentrao plays a clever ball in behind for Traore, who can only slice the ball well wide with his first-time attempt.

Monaco are coming into the game well in midfield, but Lloris has been happy with his defenders so far as Alderweireld and Vertonghen clear a few balls which are sent into the box from wide positions.

Poor from Vertonghen as he fails to find the run of Kane and then responds by bringing down Adama Traore. Spurs can't afford to give the ball away in midfield. Monaco can break quickly.

Kane is being marked very tightly in the early stages, but Spurs should not be too worried. The likes of Alli, Lamela and Eriksen are getting on the ball further up the pitch, and you would certainly fancy one of them to slice open the Monaco defence at some stage. Pretty even at the moment.

Trippier appears to have taken a knock in a challenge close to the touchline, but he looks keen to run it off. Rose does well to get forward on the opposite wing before a cross is easily collected by Subasic.

It just isn't quite clicking for Spurs in the final third. Lamela does well to find a pocket of space which allows him to cut inside but his chipped pass towards Chadli is easily cut out.

CHANCE! Much better from Spurs. Rose brings the ball forward from left-back before sliding in Kane, whose first touch is uncharacteristically poor in the box. Subasic is attracted to the ball, though, and Kane reacts by teeing up Chadli. There are two defenders on the line as the Belgian curls just over from the edge of the box.

Excellent football on show as Alli and Eriksen link up before the latter eventually finds Trippier's inviting cross is cleared by Carvalho with Kane lurking just behind the Portuguese defender.

Monaco must improve their final ball. Adam Traore and Fabinho are both guilty of wasting good opportunities to send the ball towards Lacina Traore, who had twice found himself in good positions in the box. Spurs look comfortable at the back.

SAVE! Just as I mention Spurs looking comfortable, the visitors are caught out in midfield as Adama Traore capitalises on space to unleash a 25-yard strike. Lloris fumbles the low shot but Vertonghen reacts quickest to clear the danger.

Still not much to choose between these two sides. Spurs are looking better in possession, but Monaco look solid at the back with Carvalho, who has proved his class on more than one occasion already. It could take a mistake for the deadlock to be broken.

Monaco win a free kick in a good position to the left of the box, but Trippier does well to head clear at the near post before Adama Traore's cross can cause problems for Lloris.

GOAL! MONACO 0-1 SPURS (LAMELA)

Spurs make the breakthrough with some excellent football. Lamela starts the move with a stunning piece of skill to take two players out of the game before Chadli nutmegs a defender to continue the break. He picks out Alli, who cuts inside before seeing a deflected effort kept out by Subasic. However, Lamela is quickest to the rebound and he taps in the opener.

Monaco threaten to produce an immediate response as Lacina Traore finds his namesake, who creates space before hitting the side-netting from the edge of the box. An even better chance follows moments later when Contrao heads wide from Moutinho's cross while on the stretch.

CHANCES! The game is opening up now. Alli offers another example of his undoubted quality by receiving the ball in the box before cutting inside another defender to find Kane, who is denied when a deflection sends the ball against Subasic's face. Monaco break quickly and Lacina Traore finds the room to meet a cross at the back post, but he can only head over. Great opportunities at both ends.

Plenty of credit to Spurs for this first-half display. Monaco have threatened on a couple of occasions, but Spurs have controlled the match and looked sharp when the likes of Lamela and Alli get forward at pace. They will certainly want another goal, though.

Spurs breathe another sigh of relief. The visiting defence is very narrow as Monaco send the ball out wide to Adama Traore, whose low cross is turned past the back post by Vertonghen. I'm not sure the Belgian defender knew much about it under pressure from Lacina Traore.

Monaco enjoying a good spell ahead of the interval as Spurs are forced to clear another corner. It will be a job well done if Spurs can get to the break without conceding now.

HALF TIME: MONACO 0-1 SPURS

Spurs are halfway there at the Stade Louis II. Monaco have enjoyed spells where they've looked good going forward, but Spurs have controlled the game well and lead with a goal from Lamela, who has shown again that this could be the season he begins to silence some of his critics.

Plenty of good displays in the first half. Lamela has been bright on the ball, while Dier has been quietly impressive protecting the defence and starting moves from deep. Alli really has been the star man, though. Some of his touches in the final third have been fantastic and he is certainly celebrating in style after his England call-up.

UPDATE: Elsewhere in Group J, Qarabag are proving once again that they are not the whipping boys some might have thought they would be. Richard Almeida's strike has given them a 1-0 lead over Anderlecht at the break.


KICKOFF! Spurs get the game back underway. No changes from either side yet. Pochettino would love to see a second goal in the early stages of the second half.

The subs are out warming up for Monaco. El Shaarawy looks like the obvious option. He is unpredictable, but he could stretch the game a bit more. Spurs comfortable since the break.

Lamela and Kane combine well to win a free kick, and a confident Eriksen strikes his free kick straight at Subasic on the bounce from over 30 yards out.

It's been a bit scrappy since the break. Frequent fouls are affecting the rhythm of the game. Rose has a problem when Fabinho appears to stand on his hand. He is receiving treatment on the pitch, but the referee is oblivious and restarts play.

It looks bad for Rose. There is a lot of blood coming from his hand and the medical staff are still working on him as Monaco continue to press much higher than they were before the interval.

Better from Monaco as Coentrao and Silva combine on the left, before Lacina Traore heads wide from close range. Luckily for Spurs, he was offside anyway.

YELLOW CARD! Toulalan picks up the first booking of the game for bringing down Dier in midfield. Jardim then uses his first change to replace Lemar with El Shaarawy.

Monaco's players appeal for penalty when a Fabinho cross clearly strikes Rose's healthy hand, but the referee ignores the protests. Replays prove it would have been a free kick just on the edge of the box had the decision gone to the hosts.

It has not been great to watch early in the second half, but Spurs won't be too worried. Monaco will have to take more risks and Pochettino's side will be able to hurt the hosts on the break.

SUB! Pochettino makes his first change as Njie comes on to replace Lamela. He immediately goes up top and it looks like Kane will work in the area just behind him.

SUB! Spurs continue to work hard without the ball, which is making it difficult for Monaco to cause any problems for the visiting defence. Another change arrives as Guido Carrillo replaces Lacina Traore.

SUB! More action on the touchline than the pitch at the moment. Chadli makes way for Townsend.

Monaco always look so terrified of Alli, who turns a couple of defenders in the box before the ball breaks to Kane and Spurs win a corner when his effort is deflected wide.

SAVE! Not for the first time this season, Dier meets a corner with a great header at the near post to force Subasic into an excellent save. Spurs remain on top and work the ball well on the right as Trippier's cross finds Kane, who heads straight at a relieved Subasic. The England striker should have scored.

Good defending from Dier as he punishes Adama Traore for taking an extra touch by charging down his shot on the edge of the box. It has been another excellent performance from the Spurs youngster.

SUB! Monaco have no choice but to take more risks now as Carvalho comes off to be replaced by Moroccan winger Nail Dirar.

Great work from Rose on his wing as he times his challenge to perfection to halt Dirar after it looked like the substitute had broken into the box. Spurs then manage to clear the corner. Moutinho wanted a penalty after going down under pressure from Rose, but there didn't look to be much contact.

GOAL! MONACO 1-1 SPURS (EL SHAARAWY)

Monaco hit back! It's the substitutes who make the impact as Dirar's excellent cross finds El Shaarawy, who beats Trippier to the ball and heads in the equaliser. Loris got a foot to the ball, but he could not stop it from rolling over the line.

CLOSE! Monaco are almost ahead just moments after getting back on level terms. Dirar unleashes a powerful strike which dips and causes problems for Lloris, who can only push the ball back out into the danger zone. Carrillo looks set to tap in the rebound but Rose does brilliantly to clear the danger first. Fantastic defending. Will there be a winner?

Monaco look a different side now. They are winning the challenges in midfield and Spurs are struggling to retain possession. Adam Traore frustrates his teammates by slicing wide from 25 yards. A draw would not be the worst result, but after leading for so long, this is a frustrating finish for the visitors.

Kane is dropping deeper to get involved now and he turns into space to win a free kick when he's tripped by Moutinho.

Subasic seems to be too far to one side when he waits for Eriksen, but the free kick clips the top of the wall on the way out for a corner. Monaco need a couple of attempts before eventually clearing.

Monaco certainly look the more threatening late on as Spurs begin to drop into a dangerous position on the edge of their own box. Dirar's foul on Vertonghen relieves the pressure for a moment.

SUB! Tom Carroll is off the bench to replace Eriksen. The fourth official signals four minutes of added time.

Spurs have battled back well to slow down Monaco since that frantic spell, but they are still struggling to move up the pitch as the hosts look for what could be a vital win. Adam Traore's decision to unleash an effort which drifts well wide does not please his teammates or the home fans.

FULL TIME: MONACO 1-1 SPURS

The action comes to an end at the Stade Louis II. Spurs were comfortable for much of the game and were well worth their lead, but they lacked the same composure in the second half as they struggled to retain possession. Monaco fought back well late on and probably deserved the point. It might feel like a missed opportunity, but a draw is not that bad for Spurs from a trip to Monaco.

That's all from our live text coverage. Make sure you keep an eye on the live text commentaries involving Liverpool, Celtic and Borussia Dortmund in the 8.05pm kickoffs. Thanks for joining me. Goodnight.

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Eric Dier (2nd R) of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team's first goal with his team mates during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart Lane on September 26, 2015
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