Chapter 114: Fighting with No Retreat

On August 23rd, during the second leg of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League qualifying playoff, Monaco hosted Villarreal.

Monaco maintained their formation with Germain as the lone striker, while the injured “Tiger” Falcao watched from the stands. Behind Germain were Dirar, Bernardo Silva, and Lemar, with Sidibé stepping in for the suspended Mendy.

Villarreal fielded Dai Zhiwei alongside Pato in attack, with Ruiz replacing Ndiaye to partner Musacchio in defense.

The lineups were as follows:

Monaco Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Subašić
Defenders: Raggi, Glik, Jemerson, Sidibé
Defensive Midfielders: Fabinho, Bakayoko
Midfielders: Dirar, Bernardo Silva, Lemar
Forward: Germain

Villarreal Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Asenjo
Defenders: Gaspar, Musacchio, Ruiz, Anguissa
Midfielders: Castillejo, Trigueros, Bruno Soriano, Roberto Soriano
Forwards: Dai Zhiwei, Pato

Despite trailing heavily on aggregate, Villarreal showed little urgency to equalize and found themselves overwhelmed by Monaco’s relentless home pressure.

In the 7th minute, Bernardo Silva’s cross found Germain, whose header narrowly missed.

At 23 minutes, Fabinho passed to Germain, who unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from the edge of the box, saved by Asenjo.

By the 28th minute, Raggi delivered a low cross from the right, and Germain leapt high to head, but the ball just missed.

At 32 minutes, Roberto Soriano’s backfield error led to Bakayoko’s left-footed long-range shot, which sailed wide.

In the 41st minute, Dirar passed to Lemar, who immediately fired a low shot. Asenjo instinctively blocked, but the ball slipped between his legs, resting on the goal line before he recovered and secured it.

The first half ended goalless.

After the break, Villarreal’s offense showed signs of life.

At 53 minutes, Pato found Dai Zhiwei, who charged into the box and unleashed a fierce left-footed shot that narrowly missed. Moments later, Musacchio passed back to Dai, who fired another right-footed shot from distance, again wide.

Four minutes later, Pato’s pass set up Castillejo for a left-footed strike that flew high.

Just as Villarreal began gaining control, Monaco launched a counterattack in the 72nd minute. Musacchio instinctively stretched out his arms to block the ball in the box, resulting in a handball penalty. Fabinho stepped up and blasted a powerful right-footed shot into the net. 1-0.

Trailing 1-3 on aggregate, Villarreal teetered dangerously close to elimination.

Listening to the unfamiliar chants of the raucous Monaco fans, Dai Zhiwei frowned, watching the jubilant home players. Frustrated, he kicked the turf sharply. "Damn it!"

Bruno Soriano quickly retrieved the ball, placing it at midfield, urging the referee to signal Monaco to restart.

Germain sluggishly jogged back from Monaco’s box to the center circle, drawing furious jeers from Villarreal supporters in the stands.

Monaco fans, unwilling to let their players be insulted by the visitors, responded with a thunderous chorus of boos, their overwhelming numbers drowning out Villarreal’s cheers.

On the sideline, coach Escribá appeared agitated, as if already envisioning the Champions League exit, wildly gesturing for his team to attack.

The referee was forced to call the Monaco players back onto the field—their celebrations had lasted too long. The earlier penalty call against Dai Zhiwei in the first half, which was denied, perhaps influenced this decision, seeming to slightly favor the Villarreal players now.

Down 1-3 on aggregate with less than 20 minutes remaining, the Yellow Submarine was perilously close to the abyss.

Though their recent form had been poor, Villarreal’s quality remained undeniable. Now trailing by two goals, they unified their resolve—attack relentlessly, no matter the cost.

With time running out, Villarreal launched a ferocious counteroffensive. Captain Bruno Soriano and Pato pushed themselves nearly to the point of cramping, yet refused to relent.

Within five minutes after the restart, Villarreal’s efforts bore fruit.

Bruno Soriano intercepted a pass intended for Bakayoko, swiftly releasing the ball to Castillejo on the flank. Castillejo deftly evaded Fabinho and threaded a precise through ball into Monaco’s box.

The newly introduced Bakambu anticipated ahead of Raggi, poking the ball forward to Castillejo, who didn’t hesitate to unleash a powerful shot.

The ball skidded swiftly along the grass towards Subašić’s goal.

Subašić was unable to react; the dense cluster of legs blocked his view. By the time he saw the ball, it was already rolling into the net.

1-1 on the night, 2-3 on aggregate—the Yellow Submarine clawed one back.

Castillejo made no celebration, quickly retrieving the ball from the net and racing back to the center circle, exchanging high-fives with teammates. Clearly, Villarreal intended to equalize or even overturn the deficit in the remaining time.

The few Villarreal supporters in the stands erupted, chanting Castillejo’s name.

Castillejo’s goal came in the 77th minute, leaving Villarreal still trailing by one. The situation had improved but remained precarious—one step forward meant survival; one step back meant doom.

Amid the electric atmosphere of the Louis II Stadium, the match pressed on. With less than 15 minutes left and only a single goal separating the sides, hope flickered anew for Villarreal.

The visitors showed no mercy to Monaco—they needed another goal. A defeat here would mean being sent home, a bitter pill especially after winning the European Super Cup. Failing to reach the Champions League group stage would make them a laughingstock across the football world.

Villarreal’s players, finally united in purpose, launched desperate attacks. Monaco, retreating deep into their half, struggled to contain the pressure. Gaspar frequently surged forward into midfield, while defensive stalwart Ruiz also made rare forward runs.

Monaco’s goal appeared under siege; their position was tenuous.

With tireless runs from Villarreal forwards Dai Zhiwei and Bakambu, Monaco’s defense had no room to relax.

Trigueros and Bruno Soriano combined with quick one-twos, carving out passing lanes. Though Trigueros had struggled this season, his passing threat remained significant.

In the 81st minute, Trigueros’ through ball sent a shiver down Monaco’s defenders. Unfortunately, Bakambu’s control was slightly heavy, allowing Monaco to regroup.

Monaco’s box was crowded, and Bakambu’s miscontrol squandered the chance.

Raggi cleared decisively to the right flank.

As everyone anticipated the ball would go out or be collected by Villarreal, the match’s brightest star, Bernardo Silva, appeared.

No one expected him to sprint so swiftly to intercept. Receiving the ball, he charged into Villarreal’s defensive third.

Villarreal’s offensive surge had left their backline dangerously exposed, with only Musacchio and Ruiz guarding Asenjo’s goal.

Neither defender was particularly quick, and despite their desperate efforts to catch up to Bernardo Silva, the odds were grim.

Bernardo Silva shook off Ruiz and approached a golden scoring opportunity. The tens of thousands of Monaco fans erupted, eager to deliver a stunning counterattack to humble the arrogant Spaniards and claim their spot in the Champions League group stage.

Bernardo Silva was nearly one-on-one with Asenjo, who, despite occasional mistakes and not yet reaching elite status, was a solid goalkeeper overall.

Standing slightly off his line, Asenjo decisively rushed out to confront Bernardo Silva.

Though Bernardo Silva’s footwork was exceptional, his pace was modest. As he entered the box, Asenjo aggressively charged and brought him down.

Yes, Bernardo Silva fell, but the referee refrained from blowing the whistle.

Asenjo had touched the ball first, and the contact with Bernardo Silva was an unavoidable consequence of his save.

This decision also reflected some balance after the earlier non-call on Dai Zhiwei’s penalty appeal.

Villarreal fans roared in disbelief, but Asenjo remained composed.

After securing the ball and sitting briefly on the grass amid Bernardo Silva’s protests, he hugged the ball and sprinted towards the edge of the box, then forcefully booted it upfield.

Dai Zhiwei sprinted forward, calmly tracking the ball’s trajectory. He sensed an opportunity—a chance to equalize.

Monaco’s players, caught off guard by Bernardo Silva’s counterattack, momentarily loosened their tight defense. Several attackers surged forward to support.

However, Asenjo’s unexpected save had prevented a clear breakaway, leaving Monaco’s backline cautious yet allowing Dai Zhiwei some space.

He judged the ball’s descent perfectly—it was dropping just right, slightly to the right between the center circle and the box line.

Dai Zhiwei wasn’t alone in recognizing the ball’s landing spot; Monaco’s players saw it too, but Dai was closest.

He and Fabinho leapt simultaneously, engaging in an aerial duel. Thanks to his summer conditioning, Dai held his balance despite the contact.

He made first contact, gently nudging the ball towards Monaco’s goal.

Landing somewhat unsteady, Dai stumbled slightly. Fabinho, subtly tugging at his shirt, tried to disrupt his rhythm, but Dai pressed on, regaining control and pushing forward.

Fabinho’s persistent harassment was subtle yet effective, intended to slow Dai without drawing a foul.

Having endured such tactics throughout his young career, Dai was unfazed.

Yet, as he neared the penalty box, Dai knew he had to shake off Fabinho’s grip; otherwise, Monaco defenders would close in for a deadly double-team.

He slightly eased his pace, aiming to catch Fabinho off guard.

This sudden deceleration gave Fabinho a chance to adjust.

Seeing the ball drift nearly half a meter away from Dai’s feet, Fabinho’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he lunged into a sliding tackle.

Villarreal fans gasped. Fabinho charged fiercely forward, aiming to intercept.

But moments later, the crowd’s roar shifted to astonishment—Dai abruptly accelerated, flicking the ball deftly over Fabinho’s sliding challenge.

This was a bold gamble by Dai, deliberately exposing a vulnerability to lure Fabinho in, confident his reaction would be quicker.

Indeed, it was risky, but it paid off handsomely; no defenders remained within five meters of him.

Dai steadied his pace, now with a wide-open field ahead. Monaco’s nearest defender was over five meters away—ample room for him to make his move. He was under ten meters from the box.

Unlike the panicked Monaco defenders, Villarreal players brimmed with excitement, especially forwards Bakambu and Pato. They knew if they found space, Dai’s next pass would reach them.

Opportunity was knocking.

(End of chapter)