It looks like Arsenal will again make their exit in the round of 16 for the fifth year in a row, after their loss against Monaco of 3-1. The hurdle for Arsenal is quite a tough one to dodge, because if they want to pass through to the quarter-finals then they will have to score three away goals without conceding even a single one. Monaco ended the match by scoring their three very precious away goals and left Emirates Stadium with a victory smile; all thanks to Berbatov, Kondogbia and Yannick.
UEFA Champions League round of 16: Two of the most stunning games
Wenger’s boys seemed to be very much frustrated in the first half by their own game, and soon conceded one goal, which was a long-ranger from Kondogbia that found a deflection off Mertesacker. The gunners got many chances to equalize the score line but it seemed that it was not Arsenal’s day. Just after the half time, Giroud missed an opportunity and failed to convert it into a goal. Just after Giroud’s miss, the second away goal came from the former Manchester United and Fulham striker Berbatov.
Wallcott and Welback were next to adding their names in the list of player making crucial misses which made Arsenal cost the match. In the extra time Oxlade Chamberlain managed to score from a distance of 25 yards in order to decrease the score difference but still Monaco managed to keep a 2 goal difference from Arsenal as a third goal was scored by Carrasco just after 3 minutes of Chamberlain’s goal.
Later in the press conference, the Arsenal boss accused the players for the defeat. He added that it was the suicidal defending of the players that resulted in the surprised defeat of Arsenal at their home. Wenger also admitted that this time also after their defeat in the hands of French based team, their chances of passing the pre-quarter is bleak, and the road is not easy, but still they will try to the best of their abilities in order to bring a smile on the faces of their fans.
Another interesting en-counter of the night was the match between Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid, and to the surprise of many football fanatics around the world, Atletico lost the match at Bay Arena. In the first half, both the teams played a very average game, and were unable to reach each other’s penalty boxes. But soon after the second half resumed, a stunning team play resulted in the first goal of the match for the hosts. The pass was sourced by Drmic which reached Beearabbi whose accurate back pass reached Calhanoglu, who managed to shoot with beauty and the ball in no time touched the upper net for a complete stunner.
Bayer Leverkusen have a lead of one home goal, but the stakes will be really high in the second leg at Atletico’s home, as they will give it all to cover up their trail of one goal. In the second game as well, much of the hope is on Calhanogula, and all eyes will be on him and the fans are hoping that he will be able to put up same performance as he did in their home match.
Tags: Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Berbatov, Emirates Stadium, Fulham, Kondogbia, Manchester United, Monaco, UCL, UEFA Champions League, Yannick
