Late Own Goal Rescues Point for Pafos in Thrilling Draw with Monaco
Puntos Clave
- Salisu Own Goal in 88th Minute Salvages Point for Pafos
- Teams Trade First-Half Goals in Back-and-Forth Thriller
- Both Sides Remain Level on Five Points in Playoff Positions
Kolossi, Cyprus — A dramatic 88th-minute own goal from Mohammed Salisu rescued a valuable point for Pafos FC as they battled to a thrilling 2-2 draw with AS Monaco in UEFA Champions League action at Alphamega Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Cypriots showed tremendous resilience after falling behind twice in the first half, eventually salvaging a result that keeps both teams firmly in the playoff qualification spots with identical 5-point records through five matchdays of the new league phase format.
Monaco seized control early when Takumi Minamino opened the scoring in just the 5th minute. The Japanese international finished clinically with a right-footed shot to the bottom left corner after being perfectly set up by Maghnes Akliouche, giving the visitors the perfect start on Cypriot soil.
The home side responded brilliantly just 13 minutes later when David Luiz powered home a header from the center of the box to the top right corner. The Brazilian defender rose highest to meet Mislav Orsic's pinpoint cross following a corner, sending the Alphamega Stadium crowd into raptures as Pafos pulled level.
The back-and-forth nature of the contest continued when Folarin Balogun restored Monaco's advantage in the 26th minute. The American striker showcased his finishing ability with a composed left-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom right corner, silencing the home supporters as Monaco regained control.
The second half saw Pafos push forward with increasing urgency, with Ivan Sunjic hitting the crossbar with a header in the 88th minute. From the resulting scramble, Monaco's Mohammed Salisu inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, sending the home crowd into celebration as Pafos salvaged a dramatic equalizer.
The match statistics reflected the competitive nature of the contest, with possession split exactly 50-50 between the teams. Monaco edged the shooting statistics with six shots on target to Pafos's four, while the home side earned more corners (5-3) in their push for an equalizer.
The result keeps both teams positioned identically in the Champions League standings with five points each. Both Pafos (21st) and Monaco (20th) remain in the playoff qualification spots with three matchdays remaining in the league phase, as they look to secure a place in the knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.