Football does not understand justice or states of mind. It is the best definition that can be given to the match between Shakhtar and Monaco and that ended with the Ukrainians’ qualification to the group stage of the Champions League. Kovac’s team went 0-2 at halftime, Shakhtar forced extra time in the second half in an isolated play and cruelty to Ruben Aguilar in extra time ended up rejecting the French dream of playing this edition of the top continental competition. In fact, Shakhtar only shot once on goal and ended up tying the game.
The Monaco today was played more than qualifying for the Champions League. After having managed to get his three teams to the maximum continental competition, Portugal had overtaken France in the UEFA coefficient, so the comeback today against the Ukrainian team was more than obligatory for those of Kovac, who had just started Ligue 1 with only one point out of nine possible.
If Shakhtar had been far superior to Monaco in the first leg, the Monegasque set made a first part to frame. He touched perfection, he took possession of his rival, A hallmark of De Zerbi’s men and went to rest classified to the group stage of the Champions League. Kovac’s men came out onto the pitch with excessive intensity, pressing with up to six players close to the rival area and showing blatant superiority during the first 45 minutes.
As expected, Monaco’s goal was about to fall. It was Wissam Ben Yedder who opened the can after taking advantage of a great triangulation in the center of the field and overtaking the whole of the Principality after a rejection to a shot of Volland. The goal, far from making Shakhtar react, put fear in those of From Zerbi, mentally knocked out and playing at the mercy of a Monaco who put his finger on the sore even more and scored the 0-2 thanks to Ben Yedder, who scored at pleasure after a great center from Caio Henrique to forgive the 0-3 just before the Vaseline break. It was, without a doubt, a total review from Kovac to De Zerbi in the first half.
In a totally logical way, since the effort of the first half was gigantic, Monaco dropped gears at the beginning of the second half and decided to withdraw instead of going out with everything to press. The Shakhtar, who accumulated some arrival of danger, all of them very timid, was unable to dismantle the great defensive work of those of Kovac, who was 0-3 again in Ben Yedder’s boots, but a quick and cunning Pyatov avoided it. Volland also could not sentence in another great play by the rojiblancos and that Gelson Martins started on the right wing.
Soccer is a state of mind and perhaps one of the most unpredictable sports in the world. Shakhtar were playing at the mercy of Monaco, but having such a quality squad, the Ukrainians tied in an isolated play that ended up materializing Marlos, recently entered the field of play and a luxury boost for De Zerbi. With the elimination of the double value, both teams fought in a constant round trip that anyone could win. Monaco failed again two flagrant occasions at the end, both in the boots of Volland, and the party went to extra time.
The extension, always so treacherous, wreaked havoc on the physique of Shakhtar and Monaco. Ukrainians and French signed a truce that threatened to resolve the match on penalties. In the first half, the only shot was away, and Volland, which sent a shot over the bar from mid-range. Nevertheless, bad luck hit Monaco in the second half, after a pass from Mudryk hit Rubén Aguilar and ended up in Núbel’s goal.. The Shakhtar came out the winner and qualified for the group stage of the Champions League.