Moussa Sylla scored for AS Monaco at Club Brugge KV in UEFA Champions League Group A on Wednesday (32′), but Wesley’s goal (39′) meant Thierry Henry’s men had to settle for a share of the spoils in Belgium.
UEFA Champions League Group A, Matchday 3
Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges
Club Brugge KV 1-1 AS Monaco 
THE MATCH
Henry’s pre-match plans were disrupted by club captain Radamel Falcao’s thigh injury, and the former France ’98 World Cup winner must almost have been wishing he could throw himself into the mix when Steven Jovetic pulled up with a thigh injury. Instead, 18-year old Sofiane Diop entered the fray for his first Champions League appearance (12′). Matters looked to have gone from bad to worse for the visitors minutes later when Wesley fired past goalkeeper Loïc Badiashile – himself a debutant in the competition – but the Brazilian’s effort was ruled out for offside (14′). Instead it was Monaco who opened the scoring, and not without giving the Belgians a warning first. Andrea Raggi hit a rasping effort towards Karlo Letica’s goal from the edge of the box which sailed just wide (15′), before Sylla found the target, latching onto Aleksandr Golovin’s through-ball and steering his shot below Letica for 1-0 (32′). Brugge were back on level terms before the half was out, though, with Wesley rising highest to meet Hans Vanaken’s cross (39′).
No way through
Badiashile had only featured for 45 Ligue 1 Conforama minutes in Monaco’s first team coming into this match, but with Danijel Subasic and Diego Benaglio injured, the pressure was on the young shot-stopper to impress, something he did in keeping Emmanuel Dennis’ fizzing effort out soon after the restart (47′). Brugge had their tails up and Kaveh Rezaei came close just inside the hour, bounding forward before seeing his low shot fizz past Badiashile’s post (59′). Golovin had a gilt-edged chance to give Monaco the lead inside the last 20 minutes, but the Russian’s half-volley was well parried by Letica (72′). The effervescent Wesley then had a speculative attempt from distance at the other end soon after, but Badiashile was well-positioned to keep it out (76′), and it ended honours even at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
THE PLAYER: Radamel Falcao
Falcao came off in the first half of Monaco’s 2-1 loss to RC Strasbourg Alsace on Saturday – Henry’s first game as a coach – picking up a thigh injury that ruled him out of this match. The Colombia striker, now 32, exudes authority from the front but remains as vibrant as ever, with four goals in eight league starts for the principality side. Sylla deserves immense praise for the job he did, but it is difficult to imagine Monaco would have been leaving Belgium with only a draw had Falcao been fit.
THE STAT: 18
Sylla’s opener made him the second-youngest scorer for Monaco in the Champions League at 18 years, ten months and 29 days of age. Les Rouges et Blancs‘ youngest-ever scorer at Europe’s top table remains Kylian Mbappé, who was 18 years, two months and a day old when he found the target in a 5-3 loss to Manchester City in February 2017.
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