Vicario Saves the Day as Spurs Hold Monaco!
Vicario the Wall: Spurs Survive Monaco Pressure in Goalless Battle
It wasn’t pretty, but it was important. Tottenham held Monaco to a tense 0–0 draw in the Champions League, a result that owed everything to Guglielmo Vicario’s brilliance between the posts. The Italian goalkeeper produced five stunning saves to keep Spurs alive on a night when attack was scarce but resilience mattered most.
Monaco Turn Up the Heat
The Stade Louis II may have looked half-empty, but the home side made enough noise on the pitch to trouble Tottenham early. Monaco’s wing-backs, Kassoum Ouattara and Krepin Diatta, surged forward relentlessly, testing Spurs’ weakened defence. Maghnes Akliouche, lively throughout, forced Vicario into early action before Folarin Balogun tried his luck against his old London rivals — only to be denied again by the inspired keeper.
Thomas Frank’s side looked shaky at times, struggling to find rhythm in the weirdly quiet atmosphere of the Côte d’Azur. Their counterattacks, led by Wilson Odobert, brought a few promising flashes but no real danger. Richarlison had one half-chance, but Monaco were the team on top.
The Vicario Show
By the 30-minute mark, it was turning into Vicario versus Monaco. The Italian stopped Akliouche, Balogun, and even stretched to tip away a curling effort from Aleksandr Golovin. Each save seemed more vital than the last, keeping Tottenham afloat when they could easily have been two or three goals down.
Spurs tried to respond. Pedro Porro whipped in a few dangerous crosses, Odobert tested the defence, and Archie Gray impressed going forward, but the final ball was missing. With Eric Dier and Cristian Romero among 10 absentees, it was a patched-up Spurs side doing just enough to survive.
Close Calls and Missed Chances
After the break, Monaco’s pressure didn’t let up. Akliouche danced through defenders, only for Vicario to push away his low shot. Later, Thilo Kehrer headed inches wide and Takumi Minamino — stretching six yards out — volleyed over when it seemed easier to score.
Spurs barely created anything meaningful in attack, with Brennan Johnson’s late attempt blocked in the dying minutes. It wasn’t a game to remember for entertainment, but for Tottenham, avoiding defeat in such a tricky away fixture could prove crucial.
Grit Over Glamour
This may not go down as a classic, but it showed another side of Tottenham — one that can dig deep, defend as a unit, and grind out results when creativity fails. Vicario was the undisputed hero, his saves the difference between despair and a valuable point.
