Monaco crushed Red Star Belgrade 5-1 at dawn on Wednesday. Midfielder Takumi Minamino scored twice and added an assist, becoming the first Japanese player since the European Union was founded 69 years ago to score twice and add an assist in a single match.
In the opening 20 minutes of the match, Takumi Minamino cleverly broke through the offside dilemma and scored a solo goal. Although Red Star Belgrade equalized with a penalty kick, Monaco's overall momentum remained dominant. The gap widened before half-time when Villeneuve made a second effort.
The deadlock was broken when Monaco center back Werfetxin Gao fired a stunning shot from more than 30 meters away from the goal. The Ligue 1 powerhouse's offense was on the rise, with Takumi Minamino adding a second and Elliotje sealing the 5-1 scoreline with a brilliant shot in stoppage time.
Takumi Minamino was honored as Player of the Year after his impressive performance. The 29-year-old midfielder statistically became the first player to score more than once for Monaco in the Europa League in the last seven years, following Kilian McBarbie in 2017. Not only did he surpass his predecessor Shinji Kagawa, but he also dished out an assist and was hailed as the most powerful Japanese player in the history of the Europa League.
Meanwhile, another Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain, didn't fare as well, relying on a goal from Ashraf to hold them to just a 1-1 draw against Yanhofen.
