Fortress Monaco

By Matthew Spiro

AS Monaco FC's Stade Louis II is hardly an intimidating UEFA Champions League venue. It has a capacity of just 18,500 - though it is rarely full - while the stands are distanced considerably from the pitch by an athletics track, meaning that the atmosphere during games is invariably subdued.

Fortress Monaco
This, however, does not appear to bother the home side who have turned their unusual-looking home - characterised by its high concrete arches at one end - into a European fortress. Of the 23 Champions League matches that Monaco have hosted, they have won 19. Last season only PSV Eindhoven escaped with a draw, as AEK Athens FC, RC Deportivo La Coruña, FC Lokomotiv Moskva, Real Madrid CF and Chelsea FC were all brushed aside en route to the final.

Home advantage
That trend has continued this year. Monaco's latest triumph, a 2-1 win against Olympiacos CFP last Tuesday, followed a 2-0 success at home to Deportivo and leaves the French club top of Group A despite an opening-day defeat at Liverpool FC. "I've always said the most important thing in the Champions League is winning your home matches," coach Didier Deschamps reiterated last week. "Now if we beat Liverpool and pick up a point elsewhere, it will be enough."

Deschamps' ambition
So strong is Deschamps' desire to claim maximum points at home, he named four forwards in his starting lineup against Olympiacos - a gamble which paid off as they scored twice in the opening ten minutes. "We went for it in the first half and I think we took Olympiacos by surprise," Deschamps said.

Olympiacos fightback
Nevertheless, the visitors came back strongly in the second half. Spurred on by a noisy following of around 6,000 Greek supporters, they were unlucky not to grab an equaliser after a series of frantic scrambles inside the Monaco penalty area late on. Ten days earlier an even greater number of OGC Nice supporters had crammed into the Stade Louis II to cheer their side on to an amazing 4-3 win.

Crowd problems
"[The match against] Nice felt like an away match," admitted Deschamps, who - despite Monaco's splendid record - laments the lack of home support. "We're used to it but of course Olympiacos were lifted by their supporters. We were struggling physically in the second half and that's when the home crowd can really help."

Secret weapon
Ludovic Giuly, who was Monaco's captain before he joined FC Barcelona in the summer, has a different view. He believes the stadium's unique atmosphere works in Monaco's favour, saying: "It can be disconcerting for an away team. During a game it is often so quiet that the opposition forget they're playing in a big European tie and the intensity of their game drops off."

Players' paradise
Certainly the peace and quiet of Monaco has had a positive affect on players like Fernando Morientes and Javier Saviola who, without the pressure that exists in football-mad cities like Madrid and Barcelona, appear to play with more freedom.

Lonesome town
Last season the form of Morientes, who was on loan from Madrid, proved decisive, while Saviola, currently on loan from Barcelona, has scored in both home matches so far. "The town is very different from Buenos Aires or Barcelona," Saviola observed. "No one recognises me in the street, the people leave me in peace. It's a big shock and I admit sometimes I feel lonely."

Scoring run
However, as long as Saviola keeps scoring and Monaco's sensational home form continues, Deschamps will not be complaining.