Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A creative and spirited 10-man Monaco shocked Chelsea 3-1 in their Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, making Claudio Ranieri8217;s expensively assembled squad look tired and ordinary.
Spearheaded by the wizardry of captain Ludovic Giuly, the young team reacted to Andreas Zikos8217;s harsh 52nd-minute sending off with a fine display of counter-attacking football that left the competition favourites reeling.
Croat Dado Prso in the first half and Fernando Morientes and Shabani Nonda late in the second put Monaco on course for their first Champions League final.
Didier Deschamps8217;s side, whose average age is just 23 and who stunned Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, started brightly and took a deserved lead after 17 minutes.
Winger Jerome Rothen curled a free kick into the goalmouth, Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo missed the clearance and Prso reacted sharply to head beyond Marco Ambrosio.
It was only the second goal Chelsea had conceded in seven away games in Europe this season.
The home side8217;s lead was short-lived, however.
Following a neat move down Chelsea8217;s right flank England midfielder Frank Lampard crossed the ball and a tumbling Eidur Gudjohnsen managed to scramble it to Crespo who made up for his defensive shortcomings by putting it into the net.
Giuly should have added to the home side8217;s score when he danced past John Terry and Wayne Bridge in the 34th minute only for Ambrosio to scoop the ball to safety.
