Japanese national soccer team Takumi Minamino (29, AS Monaco) scored multiple goals in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) to lead the team to victory.
Minamino scored two goals and one assist at the third round of the 2024-25 UCL phase, which took place on Tuesday, to lead his team to a 5-1 victory over Tsurvena Zvezda. Monaco had two wins and one draw to rank second overall after Aston Villa, which have won three consecutive games. Zvezda, where Seol Young-woo played full-time, lost three consecutive games and hesitated to sit at 35th.
Minamino, who was the second striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation, scored the first goal in the 20th minute of the first half. Wilfried Singo’s long pass near the center line broke the offside line and calmly opened the goal in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper.
Minamino scored a goal for the first time in five years in the UCL since the match against Henck in November 2019. AS Monaco conceded a penalty goal in the 27th minute to allow the team to tie the game, but Brill Embolo’s goal in the first half gave the team a 2-1 lead.
Monaco, which continued to display aggressive performance in the second half, ran away again with Singo’s mid-range shot at the ninth minute of the second half. Monaco then cut off Zvezda’s attack from the mid field section at the 25th minute of the second half, quickly counterattacked. Minamino entered the penalty box and received an embolus pass to score a non-stop shot to the net. Minamino became the second Japanese to score multiple goals in the UCL since Shinji Kagawa (then Dortmund). He also tied for first in UCL overall goals with four goals each other. Minamino assisted Magnes Akliuse with a long pass in the extra time of the second half.
Monaco, which defeated Zvezda 5-1, continued its unbeaten streak this season. Monaco is tied with Paris Saint-Germain with six wins and two draws in the French Ligue 1, but is ranked second after trailing in goal difference.
Minamino, who had accumulated three offensive points, was named the MVP of the game. The statistical media “SofA Score.COM” gave Minamino an 8.9 rating, the highest between the two teams. 메이저놀이터
Zvezda Seol Young-woo played full-time, but he dropped his head to the defeat by reducing the team’s weakness.