London: Arsenal are in danger of an embarrassing exit from the Champions League after Monaco romped to a stunning 3-1 win in the last 16 first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger’s team were left shell-shocked as Geoffrey Kondogbia put the French club ahead with a deflected first half strike before former Tottenham forward Dimitar Berbatov marked his return to north London with the second goal after the interval.
Berbatov’s cool finish was a hammer blow to the Arsenal fans who had jeered him for his past allegiance to their bitter rivals and there was worse to come. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had just given Arsenal renewed hope with a 90th minute goal when Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco galloped clear to score Monaco’s third and leave the Premier League team needing a herculean effort in the second leg on March 17 to avoid last 16 elimination for a fifth season.
Bayer edge past 10-man Atletico
Bayer Leverkusen have one foot in the Champions League’s quarterfinals following their shock 1-0 home win over last season’s finalists Atletico Madrid, who finished with 10 men on Wednesda in Leverkusen. Hakan Calhanoglu’s superb second-half goal in the last 16, first-leg clash means Bayer take a slender advantage to Atletico’s Vicente Calderon Stadium for the return leg on March 17.
“I think we were clearly the better team and therefore we deserved the win. I gave it all I had for the goal, but we have to play just as well in the return leg as we did today and then we have a good chance.” said the match-winner Calhanoglu. Reigning Spanish league champions Atletico played the last quarter of an hour with ten men after defensive midfielder Tiago was sent off for a second booking.
