Defensively solid Monaco
Monaco returned to the competition after a long hiatus following their second place finish in Ligue 1 last season. Having lost Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez though, not many expected a great showing from Leonardo Jardim’s side.
However, they exceeded expectations through sheer defensive quality and teamwork, not only qualifying for the round of 16 but doing it in style, topping their group which featured the likes of Zenit, Benfica, and Leverkusen.
To make things even more impressive, Monaco only conceded one goal in their entire six group stage games. They were next, handed a tie against Arsenal, managed by former Monaco man, Arsene Wenger in what many saw as a chance for the Gunners to finally go past the round of 16 which has been their fate in recent seasons.
However, the French side shocked all and through impressive counter-attacking, beat Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium before a 0-2 home loss saw them through to the quarterfinals via away goals.
Their adventure harshly came to an end against Juventus, losing 1-0 on aggregate but the rich owners of the Ligue 1 club can surely have no complaints about how they’ve performed in Europe after such a long time away from the competition.
