Falcao fires Monaco to victory at CSKA's expense
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
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Radamel Falcao hit a first-half double – and his first UEFA Champions League goals since February 2010 – as Monaco strengthened their grip on top spot in Group E.
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Radamel Falcao struck twice as Monaco took a large stride towards the UEFA Champions League knockout stage with a confident 3-0 victory against CSKA Moskva.
Falcao was the star of the show with his first strikes in this competition for the Ligue 1 side, but it was Valère Germain who gave the hosts an early lead, controlling a lofted ball before beating Igor Akinfeev at the second attempt.
Zoran Tošić spurned a chance to equalise, but the Army Men quickly found themselves 2-0 down. The galloping Benjamin Mendy produced a fine cross from the left and Falcao was unmarked at the far post to bundle in.
Monaco then wrapped up the game four minutes ahead of the break as Germain played in Falcao to spin and add his second – before he missed a series of second-half chances to claim a hat-trick.
Key player: Radamel Falcao (Monaco)
The Colombia forward was a handful for CSKA all evening as he marked his UEFA Champions League debut at the Stade Louis II with a brace. The 30-year-old has suffered horrific injury problems in recent seasons and has already been sidelined twice this term, but he rolled back the years with his first goals in this competition since February 2010.
Forwards find form for Jardim
Leonardo Jardim wanted his side to take risks and that was why fit-again Falcao and Valère Germain were paired in attack for the first time in Europe since the third qualifying round against Fenerbahçe. They scored four between them over the two legs then, but neither had found the mark on the continental scene since. First UEFA Champions League goals for the club for the duo mean that Jardim must be tempted to retain both when Tottenham visit in three weeks' time.
CSKA's defensive woes
Leonid Slutski has said that every year his task becomes harder because his players get a little older. This campaign has certainly suggested that CSKA's ageing defence is creaking, and tonight's centre-backs Sergei Ignashevich and Aleksei Berezutski had a combined age of 71. Behind them, Akinfeev conceded for the 41st UEFA Champions League game in succession, and the Russian side must find a way to stop shipping goals.
Reporters' views
David Crossan, Monaco (@UEFAcomDavidC)
This was by a distance Monaco's most comfortable evening in this season's UEFA Champions League. Strikers need goals and a brace will have done Falcao's confidence the world of good, and the captain enjoys a fine understanding with the clever Germain. Despite consolidating top spot in the section, it is debatable whether Monaco will field such attack-minded tactics when they seek to secure progress against Tottenham.
Richard van Poortvliet, CSKA (@UEFAcomRichVP)
While CSKA will have felt aggrieved not take all three points in Moscow two weeks ago, the Army Men were outclassed in the principality against a Monaco side that won at a canter. The Russian champions lacked the intensity they showed last time out and there seemed to be little belief among the players, especially when they went 1-0 down.