Champions League 2025-26: Monaco snatch 2-2 draw against Man City

AS Monaco snatched a 2-2 draw against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. Eric Dier's late penalty ensured the points were shared after Man City striker Erling Haaland netted either side of Jordan Teze's early equaliser at Stade Louis.

Man City opened the scoring inside the opening 15 minutes thanks to Haaland's tenth goal for the club across all competitions this season. The Norwegian striker got on the end of a perfectly weighted overhead ball from Josko Gvardiol and dinked a lob over goalkeeper Philip Koehn. 

The home side levelled the score three minutes later thanks to Teze's powerful long-ranger. The Dutchman's right-foted screamer went past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the top corner. 

Pep guardiola's side restored the lead just before the break. Haaland rose to meet Nico O'Reilly's cross and headed into the bottom corner. It was the 25-year-old's 52nd goal from 50 Champions League matches. 

Monaco came out all guns blazing in the second half, and Maghnes Akliouche cut inside and unleashed a right-footed strike which was turned away by Donnarumma. The hosts deservedly went ahead in the 90th-minute, when the referee pointed to the penalty spot after VAR review for Nico Gonzalez's  foul on Dier. 

The England international stepped up, sent Donnarumma the wrong way before depositing the ball into the bottom right corner. Monaco earned their first Champions League point on board having started the campaign with a 4-1 defeat at Club Brugge. 

Man City, on ther other hand, have four points, having opened its campaign with a 2-0 win against Napoli. Guardiola's side next travels to Villarreal on October 21 and the Ligue 1 outfit will play host to Tottenham Hotspur the following day. 

Napoli 2-1 Sporting Lisbon

Napoli secured a 2-1 home-win against Sporting Lisbon at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the other match of the day. Rasmus Hojlund netted either side of Luis Suarez penalty to help his side earn three points in the Champions League. 

Napoli took the lead in the 36th-minute when Hojlund ran on toa  Kevin de Bruyne through ball and fired home from just inside the box. Four minutes later, home captain Matteo Politano cut inside and tested goalkeeper Rui Silva with a brilliant left-footed curler. 

Suarez stepped up to level from the spot in the 62nd-minute, after Politano fouled Maximiliano Araujo in the area. Napoli kept pushing for the winner and deservedly found it in the 79th-minute. Once again it was the combination of De Bruyne and Hojlund. The veteran playmaker's in-swinging cross from the left flank was headed home by the Dutchman.