Leonardo Jardim secured his fresh, young and vibrant Monaco side a place in the last four of the Champions League for the first time in thirteen years. The Ligue 1 outfit triumphed over Borussia Dortmund over both legs, with an aggregate scoreline of 6-3.
It didn't take long for Monaco to increase their lead as just three minutes into the contest at the Stade Louis II; Benjamin Mendy decided to take matters into his own hands. His mesmeric run culminated in a stunning shot that stunned the hands of Roman Burki in the Dortmund goal, who could only parry the ball into the path of the onrushing Kylian Mbappe.
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The youngster tapped home to give Monaco a 1-0 lead on the night, and double their aggregate advantage.
Monaco doubled the scoreline later on in the half when Falcao expertly dispatched an incredible header to all-but secure their place in the semi-finals. Nonetheless, Dortmund refused to be ruled out, and Ousmane Dembele ensured he left a mark against his former Ligue 1 competitors.
A jinking run on the right side resulted in a beautiful ball played across the box for Marco Reus to hammer home and provide the Germans with a glimmer of hope.
Valerie Germain added a third with iconic celebrations soon taking place. Dortmund certainly produced more in the final 40 minutes than any other stage during the two-legged affair to leave everyone pondering what could have been.
Monaco progress and here are the major talking points from last night's contest.
#1 Attack, attack, attack!
One thing was guaranteed when AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund were drawn together, goals were certainly going to be scored freely. It may not have witnessed twelve goals like the Manchester City vs AS Monaco tie in the previous round, but not many could deny the quality of attacking threat on display over the one-hundred-and-eighty-minute contest.
It was totally a tale of two halves as Jardim's side wanted to bury the tie in the early moments of the match itself. Even after the first goal, Monaco refused to sit back, and with speedy wingers and overlapping fullbacks, terrorised the Dortmund defence, which led to the second goal.
In the second-half, it was Dortmund's turn to impress and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marco Reus and Ousmane Dembele left no stone unturned to get their side back in the game, however, it was not to be. Season ticket holders at either club certainly couldn't be disappointed by the entertainment on offer on a weekly basis.
#2 Kylian Mbappe makes history
French forward Kylian Mbappe is rapidly gaining a reputation around Europe as the hottest young prospect. At the tender age of just 18-years, Mbappe has used the Champions League to showcase his talent to the world with some sublime finishing, swift movements and incredible composure.
How did Mbappe make history? The France international became the first player in the history of UEFA competition to score in his first four successive knock-out games. The player added to his tally of goals scored in the reverse leg against Dortmund last Tuesday and his goals in both legs against Manchester City.
One thing is for certain, Leonardo Jardim will face the arduous task of attempting to keep control of their star forward as he is likely to attract interest from European football's elite.
#3 Tiemoue Bakayoko crucial for AS Monaco’s balance
It doesn't take a genius, ex-player or expert to identify just why Manchester United and Chelsea are keen on signing the French midfielder. His display last night - tasked by Jardim to dominate the match - was nothing short of sensational, complete and near perfect.
Much to the dismay of Borussia Dortmund supporters, Bakayoko refused to allow Dortmund's midfield any opportunity to impose themselves on the match. Bakayoko was a stalwart in the French side's midfield, and without him next season, the club could seriously struggle to reach the heights achieved this campaign.
If Monaco have ambitions to continue to be one of the more frightening sides in European football, Bakayoko must remain at the club.
#4 Tuchel naive with his team selection once again
With each passing game, supporters at Borussia Dortmund are becoming increasingly frustrated with Thomas Tuchel’s team selections. It's arguably the third time in as many weeks that the club have suffered defeat and the manager has been blame for it.
Just two weeks ago, Tuchel was heavily criticised for not taking a more defensive approach from the beginning of the match against Bayern Munich.
Just days later, against Monaco, Tuchel once again was criticised for not playing Christain Pulisic from the beginning of the contest. The 18-year-old's influence was apparent when brought on during the defeat. Last night once again, Tuchel got it awfully wrong tactically.
His decision to leave out Pulisic baffled many, but the leaving out of Ousmane Dembele shocked even more, and the latter’s influence in the second-half proved Tuchel was once again at fault.
#5 AS Monaco potential Champions League winners
When teams like AS Roma, Manchester City and Villarreal had to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League in August, all three would have happily drawn AS Monaco based on their defensive style of play.
But that was how Monaco played last season. Leonardo Jardim's summer transformation has not only made them a stunning attacking unit but arguably the most feared side within the continent currently.
With six weeks of the season potentially remaining, they have already scored 140 goals in all competitions - the most by any team in Europe by some considerable difference.
Last night showcased even further just why this Ligue 1 outfit can be considered as genuine contenders. A team capable of scoring at any moment, Monaco could match anyone over a two-legged affair.
