UCL Playoff: Valencia beat Monaco 3-1 to take first leg advantage

Andy West 02:43 20/08/2015
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  • Late scorer: Feghouli.

    Goals from Rodrigo, Dani Parejo and Sofiane Feghouli handed Valencia a 3-1 advantage going into the second leg of their Champions League play-off against Monaco.

    The Spanish side got off to the perfect start when Rodrigo tapped home the opener after only four minutes, but Monaco rallied and levelled early in the second-half through Mario Pasalic.

    However, last season’s quarter-finalists were undone by poor defending as Parejo’s deflected effort and a late strike from Feghouli put Valencia in the driving seat for a return to the group stages for the first time in three years.

    Feghouli got in behind to set up Rodrigo for the easiest of finishes to put the hosts in front. The visitors had a great chance to strike back almost immediately in an open start to the game, but Anthony Martial failed to connect and the ball was gratefully clutched by Matthew Ryan.

    Monaco are a much-changed side from the one which reached the last eight last season, but they grew into the game as the first-half wore on and were unfortunate not to be level at the break.

    Ryan enjoyed his first big moment in a Valencia shirt just after the half hour mark as the Australia international turned Bernardo Silva’s drive onto the post from a narrow angle.

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    The French side’s persistence was rewarded just four minutes into the second period when a powerful run and cross by Martial was only partially cleared and Pasalic timed his run into the box perfectly to slot home the rebound.

    Valencia boss Nuno introduced Pablo Piatti for Rodrigo in a bid to turn the tide and the Argentine winger set up Valencia’s second with virtually his first touch. Piatti turned a looping cross from the right back into the danger zone and Parejo’s deflected effort left Danijel Subasic helpless.

    Parejo could have doubled his tally at the end of a flowing counter-attack, but he fired Feghouli’s cross into the stands. The Algerian international made no such mistake four minutes from time, though, when he slammed a loose ball home from just inside the area.

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