AS Monaco v Valencia background
Friday, August 21, 2015
Article summary
Two goals behind, AS Monaco have their work cut out if they are to oust Valencia, who are paying their first visit to the Stade Louis II since winning the 2004 UEFA Super Cup.
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Article body
Conceding a late third goal at Valencia in the play-off first leg has ramped up the pressure as AS Monaco bid to keep alive their hopes of making it back into the UEFA Champions League this season.
Previous meetings
• French-born Sofiane Feghouli delivered the final blow in the first leg, his 86th-minute strike completing a 3-1 win for Valencia after Mario Pašalić had briefly levelled for the visitors.
• Under Bernardino Pérez (aka Pasieguito), holders Valencia beat Gérard Banide's Monaco 5-3 on aggregate in the 1980/81 European Cup Winners' Cup first round – the sides' only previous official encounters.
• The teams also met in a friendly at London's Arsenal Stadium on 2 August 2014, drawing 2-2, with Lucas Ocampos equalising nine minutes from time for Monaco.
• Valencia last visited the Stade Louis II in 2004 when the then UEFA Cup holders overcame European champions Porto 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup under Claudio Ranieri.
Form guide
• Monaco have lost just one of their last 11 European home games at the Stade Louis II (W6 D4 L1), Arsenal – under former Monaco boss Arsène Wenger – earning a 2-0 victory in last season's UEFA Champions League round of 16.
• Valencia have lost their last two European away matches without scoring, but have yet to lose a two-legged UEFA qualifying tie.
• Monaco have lost only once in eight competitive home games against Spanish sides (W4 D3 L1), going down 1-0 to a Hristo Stoichkov strike for Barcelona in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League group stage.
• Valencia have an impressive away record in France: W4 D5 L1. They are unbeaten in nine fixtures on French soil since yielding 2-1 to Nantes on their first trip, in the semi-final of the 1979/80 European Cup Winners' Cup.
• Both teams are contesting the UEFA Champions League play-offs for the first time. Monaco featured in last term's group stage, while Valencia are looking to return to the group phase after a two-season absence.
Links and trivia
• Both clubs have Portuguese coaches – Nuno Espírito Santo for Valencia and Leonardo Jardim for Monaco – and there are plenty of other Portuguese links between them.
• Valencia's João Cancelo (2014–15), André Gomes (2012–15), Enzo Pérez (2011–15), Rodrigo Moreno (2010–15) and Monaco's Ivan Cavaleiro (2013–15), Bernardo Silva (2013–15) and Hélder Costa (2014–) previously rubbed shoulders at Benfica.
• Cancelo, Cavaleiro and Silva also reached the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final with Portugal this summer.
• One of Valencia's most celebrated successes came against French opponents: Rafael Benítez's men saw off Marseille 2-0 in the 2004 UEFA Cup final in Gothenburg.
• Valencia's Lucas Orbán (Bordeaux 2013–14) and French-born winger Sofiane Feghouli (Grenoble 2007–10) both have Ligue 1 experience, while Monaco's Fabinho (Real Madrid 2013), Ricardo Carvalho (Real Madrid 2010–13), Mario Pašalić (Elche 2014–15) and Jérémy Toulalan (Málaga 2011–13) have played club football in Spain.
