AS Monaco must already overcome PSV Eindhoven in the 3rd preliminary round which is played this Tuesday evening (8 p.m., and to follow here live on 20 minutes) and next Tuesday.
A big piece for Monegasques lacking rhythm at the start of the season against a Dutch team which has just swept Ajax 5-3 in the Dutch Super Cup. Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s men are regulars at the exercise and will not give Phillipe Clément’s team any favors.
Fall from Charybdis to Scylla
In the event of qualification, AS Monaco knows the identity of its two potential opponents in the play-offs. The Principality club could be opposed to the Belgians of Union Saint-Gilloise, a surprise team last season, or to another big part of European football, the Glasgow Rangers. Unhappy finalists in the last edition of the Europa League, the Scots lost twice to Olympique Lyonnais of Peter Bosz in the group stage.
The Monegasques have the objective of avoiding a premature elimination like last season against Shakhtar Donetsk, elimination which then caused a very complicated start to the season for the men of Niko Kovac, the former coach of AS Monaco.