Monaco secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday in the Champions League, dealing a blow to the Premier League side’s hopes of securing early qualification for the round of 16.
The decisive moment came just eight minutes into the match when Wilfried Singo capitalised on a misjudged save by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to head home from close range.
The loss marks Villa’s first defeat in six matches across all competitions, while Monaco revived their campaign after a poor run of just two wins in their last 11 games.
Despite the defeat, Villa remains in contention for automatic qualification with a top-eight finish. They sit seventh on the table, level on 13 points with Monaco and fourth-placed Arsenal.
Villa’s final league-phase fixture will see them host Celtic, who are currently languishing in 21st place.
Monaco, meanwhile, will face a daunting trip to Italian champions Inter Milan, also on 13 points, in a must-win game to avoid slipping into a play-off spot. Both teams remain at risk of being overtaken by Paris Saint-Germain and Stuttgart, who sit six points behind with two games in hand.
The game saw Martinez jeered by the home crowd throughout, a reaction tied to his role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph over France.
However, the Monaco supporters were elated when Martinez’s early mistake led to Singo’s winning goal. Martinez redeemed himself later with a spectacular save to deny Maghnes Akliouche, who also missed a golden chance to double Monaco’s lead before halftime.
Villa struggled to break down Monaco’s defence, with Ollie Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran unable to convert opportunities.
Matty Cash came closest in the second half, but his effort narrowly missed the target. Monaco looked more dangerous in the closing stages, with Aleksandr Golovin firing into the side netting and Duran’s audacious bicycle kick flying over in stoppage time.
Monaco’s gritty win keeps their hopes alive for progression to the Champions League knockout stages, while Villa will need a strong performance against Celtic to stay in the race.
