Tottenham escaped the Stade Louis II with a lucky point after a 0-0 draw against Monaco in the Champions League.
What unfolded that evening was a closely contested affair where Monaco’s attacking threat repeatedly met its adversary in the form of Guglielmo Vicario’s heroics.
The home side started brightly, pressing Spurs high and creating the first real opportunity of the match when Folarin Balogun forced Vicario into an early save.
Moments later, Ansu Fati found himself on goal but chose to place the ball rather than shoot, allowing the Tottenham defense to clear their lines.
Spurs struggled to find rhythm in the early exchanges, with Lucas Bergvall and Richarlison isolated up front. Monaco, meanwhile, looked livelier and almost broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when a one-two between Balogun and Akliouche freed the American striker, but Vicario came off his line and made a decisive save.
The Italian keeper was called into action again eight minutes later, diving low to push away a curling Balogun strike that looked destined for the bottom corner. Monaco’s pressure continued and Akliouche’s trickery in the box early in the second half again forced Vicario into a smart save at the near post.
Tottenham offered little going forward, registering only a handful of half-chances. Their best opportunity came from Micky van de Ven, whose header from Wilson Odobert’s cross narrowly flew over the bar. Beyond that, Thomas Frank’s team seemed content to absorb pressure and counter sporadically.
As the match progressed, Monaco intensified their assault. Takumi Minamino, introduced in the 70th minute, missed three golden chances in the space of five minutes – first shooting wide, then dragging a shot past the post, before firing home a third from close range.
Vicario’s performance reached its peak 14 minutes from time when he produced a remarkable reflex save to deny Teze’s point-blank header.
The save allowed Spurs to remain level despite a barrage of 20 shots – their most in a Champions League match since 2019.
Late substitutions on both sides did little to change the pace of the match. Spurs pushed forward into stoppage time with renewed urgency, but Monaco’s backline held firm.
After another six minutes, the referee’s whistle confirmed a stalemate that will look like a missed opportunity for the hosts.
For Tottenham, the result owes everything to the genius and defensive resilience of Vicario. For Monaco, it was a night of frustration – their dominance and creativity wiped out by needless finishing and an inspired opponent between the posts.
