Chapter 33: Out of the Relegation Zone
Monaco, Stade Louis II.
Over 10,000 Monaco fans sat in stunned silence as Mallorca's players celebrated wildly on the pitch. It was as though they were trapped in a nightmare...
Within just thirteen minutes of kickoff, the Mallorca players—armed with a three-goal lead—did not opt for a defensive counterattack strategy as everyone had expected. Instead, they launched an aggressive offense right from the start, as if they were the team trailing by three goals!
At the five-minute mark, Tristan smashed Stankovic's cross into Barthez's net with a dominant header. Despite being marked by Christanval, even he couldn't stop Tristan—the human tank—from bulldozing his way through!
Eight minutes later, Eto'o showcased his lightning speed. Picking up the ball in midfield, he surged forward, leaving Monaco's last defender in his dust, and coolly slotted home his first-ever goal in European competition!
"Well done!" José punched the air triumphantly. Two away goals and a five-goal aggregate lead meant that Monaco would now have to score six goals to advance—a near-impossible feat!
And what followed all but sealed Monaco's fate.
With their commanding advantage, Mallorca maintained solid defense until the 72nd minute, when Pršo scored for Monaco. Gallardo added another during injury time, but it was too little, too late. The 2-2 draw at home meant Monaco were eliminated with a 6-3 aggregate score. Mallorca marched proudly into the UEFA Cup quarterfinals!
Returning to Spain, however, Mallorca found themselves overshadowed by other events. Deportivo La Coruña narrowly defeated Arsenal 2-1 at home but were eliminated by the Premier League powerhouse. Atlético Madrid suffered a 4-2 defeat away to Lens, bowing out as well.