Maghnes Akliouche is your MVP against Barcelona after scoring the first goal

Sparkling on his Champions League debut, the #MadeInLaDiagonale midfielder sparked the victory against Barça by opening the scoring with a shot at the near post. He was voted MVP ahead of George Ilenikhena on the AS Monaco App.

“It was a little dream to play in the Champions League,” as he said in the mixed zone after the match, with a big smile on his face. And Maghnes Akliouche had reason to do so after AS Monaco picked iup a prestigious win against Barcelona (2-1), a few moments earlier. A win of which he was one of the main architects.

A turn, a left-footed shot, and a goal

Lined up on the right of the attack in the 4-2-3-1 of Adi Hütter, it only took him a little over a quarter of an hour to make his mark. Found by Vanderson with a nice cross, the #MadeInLaDiagonale midfielder cuts back into the centre to get the ball onto his left foot. After eliminating Pedri in the box, he found  a shooting angle and slotted a shot past the near post of Ter Stegen, incredulous, for Monaco’s opening goal (16′).

Of course it's a dream to play in the Champions League and score against Barça, one of the best teams in the world. We just achieved it, we are very happy. As a kid, I dreamed several times of scoring this goal by coming inside and then shooting with my left foot. Today, I was able to score it and I hope to score several more like that.

Maghnes AklioucheOn his goal in the mixed zone

He always dreamed of it

It was a goal, his first for his big debut in the competition, that he always imagined scoring. “As a kid, I dreamed several times of scoring this goal by going inside and then shooting with my left foot. Today, I was able to score it and I hope to score several more like that,” he said in the mixed zone. Having become the seventeenth French player to find the net against Barça, the silver medalist of the summer was consistent throughout the match.

MVP after a complete performance

Present both offensively and defensively to prevent the Blaugrana’s own attacks, Maghnes notably won eight duels, including four on the ground, made three crosses, an interception and a tackle, as well as succeeded in two dribbles and a key pass. It was a massive performance which unsurprisingly earned him the title of MVP by the Monaco supporters on the AS Monaco App with nearly 62% of the votes for the first time this season.

Ilenikhena and Vanderson on the podium

He finished ahead of George Ilenikhena, scorer of the winner and voted player of the match by UEFA (19%). After arriving this summer, the new striker scored his second goal in the competition, both… against Barça and became the youngest Monegasque to score in C1, ahead of Kylian Mbappé.

With an assist on the team’s last two goals, Vanderson finished in third place (8%) and confirmed his current good form after impressing in Auxerre, last weekend. Bravo Maghnes ! 👏