UCL: Monaco fall to heavy defeat at Bruges

Monaco’s entry into the 2025–26 Champions League was a tough setback, to say the least. The Principality club were comprehensively outplayed by Club Brugge, succumbing 4-1 at the Jan Breydelstadion in a performance that raised serious questions about their European credentials.

From the first whistle, Monaco struggled to impose themselves. Bruges pressed aggressively, moved the ball quickly, and exposed gaps in the Monegasque defence. It took just 32 minutes for the breakthrough: Nicolo Tresoldi finished neatly after being picked out by Hans Vanaken, sending Bruges fans into raptures. The damage escalated quickly—R. Onyedika doubled the lead in the 39th minute following a defensive lapse, and Vanaken made it 3-0 before the interval. By half-time, Monaco were already staring down the barrel of a historic defeat—the first time they had conceded three goals in a first-half Champions League match since 2018, coincidentally also against Bruges.

Ansu Fati scores consolation goal

The second half offered little respite. Monaco attempted to regain control, with Adi Hütter introducing Ansu Fati and other tactical adjustments, but Bruges’ dominance never waned. The Belgian side continued to exploit the spaces left by Monaco, culminating in Mohamed Diakhon’s goal in the 75th minute, which effectively sealed the contest.

Amid the chaos, Monaco’s only bright spot was Ansu Fati, who made his long-awaited debut and scored a powerful goal in the 90th minute, a small consolation for the visitors. Despite this, the overall impression was one of a team overwhelmed in all departments: defensively fragile, slow to transition, and unable to match Bruges’ intensity.

THE STAT: FOur 

Monaco have failed to win in their last 4 games in the UEFA Champions League, their last longer winless streak was from 3rd May 2017 to 11th December 2018, a run of 14 games.

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