Manchester City's Champions League campaign faced a setback after a late, controversial penalty decision resulted in a 2-2 draw against Monaco. Despite Erling Haaland's brace, which took his Champions League goal tally to an impressive 52 in 50 appearances, City's inability to capitalize on their opportunities and a contentious VAR intervention led to a frustrating night at the Stade Louis II.
Haaland opened the scoring in the 15th minute, latching onto a clever pass from Josko Gvardiol to flick the ball over Monaco's goalkeeper. Monaco responded with a stunning strike from Jordan Teze to level the score. However, Haaland restored City's lead with a powerful header, seemingly putting the Premier League champions on course for a win.
Despite Haaland's heroics, City's wastefulness in front of goal proved costly. Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders both struck the crossbar, and other chances went begging, leaving the door open for Monaco to snatch a late equalizer.
The decisive moment arrived in the 90th minute when a free-kick into the City box led to a collision between Monaco's Nico Gonzalez and City's Eric Dier. Replays indicated that Gonzalez, while getting the ball first, also caught Dier in the face with his boot. Following a lengthy VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot, deeming Gonzalez's challenge to be dangerous. Dier converted the penalty, sending Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way and securing a draw for the home side.
The penalty decision sparked controversy, with City players and fans questioning the severity of the foul and the length of the VAR review. The off-the-ball scuffle that ensued led to a Monaco coach being sent off, further highlighting the tension surrounding the decision.
While the late controversy will undoubtedly dominate the headlines, City will also rue their missed chances. Their inability to convert their dominance into a more comfortable lead ultimately allowed Monaco to stay in the game and capitalize on the late opportunity. This result underscores the need for City to be more clinical in future Champions League matches, as they aim to progress further in the competition.
