AS Monaco continue their journey towards the group stage of the Champions League. Already winners of Sparta Prague in the first leg on August 3 away (2-0) in a meeting met with racist cries, the Monegasques gave almost the same price to the Czechs during the return match on Tuesday August 10 (3- 1). On the first leg, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Kevin Volland were responsible for putting their heads under the water for Sparta, they were replaced on Monday by Gelson Martins and Aleksandr Golovine, both scorers, then by a last goal from Sofiane Diop.

With this victory, the Rock club validates its place in the Champions League play-offs, where it will face Shakhtar Donetsk, winner of Genk, in the “Way of the League”. The winner of this final confrontation will get a valuable ticket to the group stage.

With this comfortable baggage acquired on the first leg, AS Monaco was in a favorable ballot for qualifying on Tuesday. Faced with a shy Czech team, Niko Kovac’s men have always returned 0-0 in the, but were able to quickly make the difference on the return. After a good stint with Kevin Volland, Gelson Martins is surprised Nita, the goalkeeper of Sparta, by hitting hard in the closed angle instead of crossing at close range (1-0, 50th).

Six minutes later, Aleksandr Golovine, already the author of the biggest opportunity in the first half on a heavy narrowly deflected strike, came to perforate the Czech defense by relying on Wissam Ben Yedder to make the break and bury the Daniele Orsato’s men’s hopes (2-0, 56th).

Not always sovereign in its raises, the club of the Rock saw a slight thrill go through the reduction of the score of Moberg-Karlsson (2-1, 78th), before Sofiane Diop, on an individual slalom in a somewhat resigned defense , does not come to endorse the beautiful Monegasque evening (3-1, 81st). “The first stage is over. It was not so easy. But I am satisfied with the two matches played against Prague. After a difficult first quarter of an hour, we were dominant. The ground was complicated today”, Niko Kovac explained at the exit.

AS Monaco will have one hell of a client in the play-offs during its first-leg jump-off on August 17 (return on Wednesday 25) in the person of Shakhtar Donetsk. “He is a formidable opponent, used to the Champions League, the favorite of our confrontation, and certainly the strongest that it was possible to meet. But we believe in our qualities, in our strengths. We worked very hard. last season to play this match “, a Croatian technician concluded. The winner joins the group stage, which will be drawn on August 26 in Istanbul.