Niko Kovac, Kevin Volland and Alexander Nübel trotted into the cabin of the Metalist Stadium with their heads hanging. While the players of Shakhtar Donetsk could hardly believe their luck, the frustration at AS Monaco after the unnecessary end in the play-offs of the Champions League was huge. “We missed a great opportunity,” said the former Bayern coach Kovac after the 2-2 after extra time, extremely disappointed.
The false start to a season in which AS had so high hopes was perfect. In Ligue 1, the third of the previous season is penultimate after three matchdays with just one meager point – and now also the bitter setback on the way to the lucrative premier class.
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“It was so unnecessary. We threw away a whole year’s work lightly, ”complained midfielder Youssouf Fofana. It fit into the picture that a strange own goal by Ruben Aguilar shortly before the end had sealed the bitter move into the unpopular Europa League. Bayern Munich’s loan from Nübel had no chance.
The AS was clearly superior to the Champions League permanent guest Donetsk – but after the 0-1 in the first leg, the Monegasque lacked the killer instinct. National player Volland also missed a huge chance in the 90th minute.
“We can play football very well”
What remained was bewilderment – but after the initial anger had subsided, there was also hope for better times. “We showed the real Monaco. It is a good sign for the rest of the season, ”said Fofana. “We have a good squad and have seen that we can play football very well,” added Kovac defiantly.
But his team has to deliver. Kovac knows that too. “We have to quickly focus on Ligue 1 again and win in Troyes,” he said before the landmark game on Sunday.
Fofana urged his colleagues to “digest the game in Ukraine against Donetsk quickly and raise their heads”. He spoke of a “new beginning”. Because as before, the goal of AS Monaco is “that we qualify directly for the Champions League”. It didn’t work out over the play-offs.
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