Manchester City showed character and quality as they came from behind to seal an emphatic 5-3 win over Monaco in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie at the Etihad.
Monaco gave a tough fight and their free-flowing style of football was a joy to behold. They have a bunch of young and exciting footballers who have the potential to become world class players in the future.
The likes of Bakayoko and Mbappe are being targeted by heavyweight Premier League clubs already. While Pep Guardiola was solely concentrating on the match, City scouts must have kept a close eye on one of their key summer targets, Thomas Lemar. And the 21-year-old midfielder didn’t disappoint.
Lemar created four chances in the match (made one assist), twice as many as any other player on the pitch. With an impressive 80% passing accuracy, Lemar has really impressed on the big stage.
The youngster made six crosses during the match, more than any other Monaco player, and was at the heart of every creative move. Although he didn’t get his name on the scoresheet, surely the performance was strong enough to create a strong impression.
Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing the youngster in the summer. He joined Monaco in 2015, and since then has cemented a regular starting spot in the side.
Premier League rivals, Chelsea, are also interested in him. However, any potential buyer will have to pay a transfer fee in the region of £30m for his services.
Stats courtesy: Whoscored.
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