Monaco vs Borussia Dortmund – Match Preview – 19th April 2017
Champions League Quarter Final 2nd Leg (3-2) Stade Louis II, Monaco
Borussia Dortmund travel to Ligue 1 leaders Monaco in the Champions League quarter-final second leg facing a 3-2 deficit from the first tie – a match that took place just 24 hours after alleged terror attacks resulted in explosions near the Dortmund coach and a fractured arm for defender Marc Bartra.
The story of the first leg
After having an extension request rejected by UEFA, Dortmund were visibly and understandably out of sorts and failed to transfer their imperious home form in the league (undefeated in all 14 played, winning 11 and drawing 3) to the European stage. Despite conceding just 8 in the league at home all season the attacking force of Monaco put 3 away goals in the German’s net – taking a commanding stance going into the second leg.
Kylian Mbappe took advantage of slack defending twice in the game – firstly by finding space and having the ball rebound of him fortunately into the open net, and secondly intercepting a careless back-pass from Lukasz Piszcek to run and finish with impressive composure.
An uncharacteristic error from Sven Bender as he bundled the ball into his own goal felt unfair as the Germans were noticeably affected by the events 24 hours previous.
Dembele and Kagawa’s well worked goals kept Dortmund in with a chance in a very attacking match.
Mbappe scored a brace to give the French side the lead going into the 2nd leg
Team News
For Monaco; Fabinho is suspended after picking up a booking in the first leg but Tiemoue Bakayoko and Benjamin Mendy will return from their own suspensions.
Dortmund will be without Marc Batra as he recovers from the above mentioned arm injury as the result of events last week.
However, BVB favourite Marco Reus is expected to play after returning from injury in the weekend’s 3-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the league.
Marco Reus returns after injury for tonight’s crucial 2nd leg
Monaco are looking to extend their dominance as France’s most successful European team; no other French side has made the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition more than once – progression will result in Monaco’s fourth appearance in the last four (others coming in 1993/94, 1997/98 and 2003/04).
Dortmund will be up against it as only Barcelona (90) have scored more than the 88 league goals Monaco have plundered this season and no team in the competition’s history has overturned a 3-2 home deficit from the first leg to progress.
Expect goals. No team left in the competition has conceded more than Monaco’s 15. There have also been over 2.5 goals in Monaco’s last 6 and 9 of Dortmund’s last 11 Champions League matches.
The clash will begin at Stade Louis II 7:45pm 19th April.
Suggested Tips:
- Skybet Price Boost – Falcao and Marco Reus both to score in 90 mins – 11/2
- Skybet Price Boost – Dortmund to Win 3-2 – 18/1
- Skybet Scorecast Boost – Bernardo Silva to score first and Monaco to win 2-1 – 100/1
- Skybet Scorecast Boost (Double Chance) – Shinji Kagawa to score first and either Dortmund to win 3-1 or Dortmund to win 2-1 – 50/1
- Skybet Featured RequestABet – Each Team 2+ Corners Each Half – 2/1
- Skybet RequestABet Specials up to 10/1 – 5+ Corners Each Team and 20 Booking Points Each team – 7/2
- Skybet RequestABet Specials up to 10/1 – A penalty awarded and a player sent off – 8/1
- Skybet RequestABet Specials 11/1 to 28/1 – Aubameyang to score, Dortmund to win, BTTS and 40 Dortmund booking points – 12/1
- Skybet RequestABet Specials 33/1 to 66/`1 – Over 4.5 goals, 15+ match corners and 70+ booking points – 40/1
- Skybet RequestABet Specials 80/1 and above – Mbappe Lottin & Falcao to score and Weigl & Piszczek to be carded – 80/1
- Skybet Player Card accumulator – Sven Bender and Sokratis Papastathopoulos both to be carded – 7/1
- Skybet Pundits Picks – Thommo’s Tips – Aubameyang to score first and 2-2 Draw – 35/1
