PSV take slender lead to Monaco after early Alex strike

ALEX’S early strike was the difference between PSV Eindhoven and Monaco as the home side defeated their in-form visitors at the Philips Stadion.

The home side marked their first appearance in the latter stages for eight years with a victory and the clean sheet that coach Guus Hiddink had demanded and now take their slender advantage into the second leg at the Stade Louis II.

The home side began the game in impressive fashion and inter-play between Ji-Sung Park and Farfan ended with Gael Givet tracking back to concede a corner that was to lead to the opening goal in the eighth minute.

Mark van Bommel swung the ball into the box and Brazilian defender Alex steamed in unmarked to power a header into the ground and past the despairing dive of Flavio Roma in the Monaco goal.

Farfan was tormenting the visiting defence and he threatened again in the 22nd minute, outpacing his marker only to cut inside the area and see his shot on goal blocked by the covering Julien Rodriguez.

PSV ended the half the way they began it, completely on top of their opponents, and Monaco coach Deschamps would have wanted his side to improve in the second period having failed to trouble goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

They certainly signalled their intentions two minutes in when Adebayor outpaced Lee Young-Pyo to fire in a cross from the left wing that Javier Saviola narrowly missed in the centre.

In a second period that was failing to match the excitement of the first PSV had a good opportunity to double their lead in the 58th minute when another Van Bommel set-piece caused chaos in the visitors penalty area.

Rodriguez tried to clear the inswinging cross but mistimed his jump and the ball cannoned off his chest to Ooijer, who could only manage to hit it over the top from close range.

The game faded after the initial action but the visitors could have grabbed a late equaliser four minutes from time after a Plasil corner was punched away by Gomes.

The clearance landed at the feet of Lucas Bernardi who lobbed it back into the danger zone and Mohammed Kallon, with his back to goal, could only flick the ball on and just over the crossbar. It was Monaco’s best chance of the game.

PSV EINDHOVEN: Gomes; Ooijer, Alex, Bouma, Lee Young-pyo; van Bommel, Vogel, Cocu; Park Ji-sung, Vennegoor, Farfan (Beasly 52).

AS MONACO: Roma; Maicon, Rodriguez, Givet, Evra, Zikos, Bernardi, Kallon, Plasil, Saviola, Adebayor (Nonda 82).

Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain).