The Champions League playoff round always brings a surprise or three, and last week’s 3-1 win for Valencia over AS Monaco in Spain was one of them. Valencia was obviously going to have an advantage on home soil, but no one quite expected them to score three on a solid Monaco squad. That’s exactly what they did, though, giving them a huge advantage and basically putting one hand on a Champions League group stage spot.
Monaco vs. Valencia live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Champions League online
Facing a 3-1 aggregate deficit, Monaco have their work cut out for them if they want to get back into the Champions League group stage.
They’ve still got another 90 minutes to go before they’ve actually secured it, though, and Valencia will be in for a battle in Monaco. The Stade Louis II will be rocking as Les Rouges et Blancos push to find a way back into the tie, and that might be enough to get Monaco the edge they need. Both of these teams desperately want to get back into the group stage, and this will be a straight up brawl from first whistle to last.
Key question -- Can Monaco mount a comeback?
A two goal deficit isn’t completely insurmountable, especially since Monaco got a goal in Spain, giving them a tiebreaker edge -- for now. They still need to score twice without conceding any goals for that to come into play, though, and that might be a tough task under the circumstances. Valencia are down a top-shelf defender after selling Nicolas Otamendi to Manchester City, so their defense could be vulnerable after a grueling match against Rayo Vallecano at the weekend. Whether or not that’s enough to give Monaco an edge is far from certain, but at home, and with an away goal in their pocket, you have to like their chances.
Key Matchup -- Anthony Martial (Monaco) vs. Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia)
Remember that thin defense we talked about? The departure of Otamendi means that now Mustafi is the big man on campus for Valencia’s back line, and he’s got his work cut out for him. Young Martial has been extraordinarily impressive over the past year, showing significant physical talent now starting to be backed up by technical skill. Mustafi sometimes struggles with guys as quick and athletic as Martial, so with Monaco needing to go all-out to level the scoreline, seeing how he works against the French side’s top striker will be vital to the run of the match.
AS Monaco injuries and suspensions
Out: João Moutinho (ankle), Heider Costa (foot) In doubt: none
Valencia injuries and suspensions
Out: Diego Alves (knee) In doubt: Andre Gomes (thigh)
Monaco will be suffering without the services of midfield maestro Moutinho, which will put immense pressure on a very young central midfield group.
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Stade Louis II, Monaco, France
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), beIN Sports (Canada), TV3, Antena 3 (Spain), BT Sport Extra (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go, Fox Sports Go (U.S.)
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