Club Brugge hit Monaco for four in Champions League rout
Club Brugge got their 2025-26 Champions League campaign off to a perfect start as they ran riot with a 4-1 win against Monaco.
Three goals within the space of 10 minutes all but put the game out of Monaco's reach by the time the half-time whistle blew at Jan Breydelstadion.
Nicolo Tresoldi, Raphael Onyedika and Hans Vanaken were on the scoresheet for the Belgian side in a chaotic first half.
French teenager Mamadou Diakhon added a fourth with a fierce finish before Ansu Fati, on his debut for Monaco, slammed in a consolation goal in stoppage time.
It was an eventful opening 17 minutes for former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who gave away and then saved a penalty, received a yellow card for yelling into the face of the referee and then was subbed off with a groin injury.
Fellow keeper Philipp Kohn, meanwhile, was kept busy at the other end as Club Brugge peppered the Monaco goal with 17 shots.
After making a string of fine saves, he could not keep out a slotted finish from Tresoldi, while Onyedika was left unmarked when he poked home Club Brugge's second.
And Kohn was left rooted to the spot as Vanaken's stunning volley rifled into the top right corner just before the break.
Monaco, captained by former Tottenham defender Eric Dier, improved somewhat after half-time but they rarely threatened Mignolet's replacement, Nordin Jackers, and their defence was easily cut open as Diakhon netted Club Brugge's fourth.
Nicky Hayen's side, who reached the last 16 in the Champions League last season, will face Atalanta on 30 September, while Monaco host Manchester City next.
