Wednesday 3 May 2017 22:44, UK
It was 12 years ago that Monaco came from nowhere to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. Now they are back in the last four again with a team made from a similar mould.
From the attacking full-backs to the creative midfielders and clinical finishers up front, Monaco are about goals, just as they were in 2004, with Fernando Morientes, Ludovic Giuly, Jerome Rothen and Dado Prso at their disposal.
Here, we look at how the two teams compare and the key players from each edition, ahead of their semi-final against Juventus on Wednesday...
Monaco have been transformed in recent years under Leonardo Jardim, from a defensive-minded team to a free-flowing and free-scoring side.
It was only two seasons ago that Monaco set up a last-16 tie with Arsenal after conceding one goal in the group stage. They were criticised for being "boring", having scored just 51 goals in Jardim's first campaign and 57 the following season.
This term, though, Jardim has let his array of attacking talents loose, and it has paid off. They have scored 95 goals in Ligue 1 while in the Champions League they have scored six times over two legs in both of their previous knockout rounds.
"Jardim really gets his ideas across to the team. He convinces the players," said midfielder Fabinho. "The players take his ideas on board. That's clear from the success we're having. Our strength is the intensity of our play and our speed on the break. That's why the attack has been scoring so much."
Radamel Falcao has also praised his manager. "He's a very intelligent coach who reads games very well. He's also very good at reading players and understanding what they need," said the Monaco striker.
"Those man-management skills have served him very well with this squad. He's got some very young players who still have some maturing to do, and he's patient and relaxed enough to teach them."
Jardim now says attacking is in their "DNA". "Our ambition is to enjoy it and play with our attacking qualities like we always do," he said about the upcoming semi-final Juventus.
He's got some very young players who still have some maturing to do, and he's patient and relaxed enough to teach them.
It was a similar story in 2004 as attack was the best form of defence for Didier Deschamps' Monaco. Even in the semi-final, when they held a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Deschamps wanted his side to play on the front foot against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
"Our team has not got the type of players to go out resolutely and just defend, defend, defend," he said. "The important thing is to look to score a goal."
Like Jardim, Deschamps' run in the Champions League came in his third season, having made some shrewd additions to complement the young talents in the team.
"You need time to adapt new players, to create an equilibrium in the team, to generate confidence and understanding," said Deschamps, who was described as "phenomenal" by Morientes.
In 2004 it was Flavio Roma between the sticks for Monaco. Like 32-year-old Danijel Subasic this season, Roma was an experienced goalkeeper, whose club form helped him win his first Italy call-up at the age of 30.
Although Roma did not keep many clean sheets in a team more focused on attack than defence, he was largely composed when called upon. Both Roma and Subasic were also guilty of the odd lapse in concentration.
For Patrice Evra and Hugo Ibarra at full-back in 2004, read Almamy Toure and Benjamin Mendy this season. They are four players who love to fly up and down the flanks, often leaving space behind but also providing numerous crosses and assists.
Among full-backs, only two players in Ligue 1 have recorded more assists than Toure and Mendy in Ligue 1 this season, while Evra and Ibarra helped set up several goals during Monaco's run to the final in 2004.
In the 3-1 quarter-final win over Real Madrid, Evra provided crosses for the first two goals before Ibarra's shot was cleverly flicked in for the crucial third that saw Monaco advance on away goals.
Gael Givet and Julien Rodriguez were the regular centre-back pairing in the run to the final, with Kamil Glik and Jemerson now filling the roles.
Monaco have played with more of a 4-4-2 under Jardim, whereas in 2004 it was a 4-3-3 preferred by Deschamps in Europe.
Akis Zikos and Lucas Bernardi were both defensive-minded players in the middle for Deschamps while Edouard Cisse was a key figure, making 44 appearances on a season-long loan from Paris St-Germain.
Under Jardim, Monaco have the guile of Bernardo Silva and Joao Moutinho to partner Tiemoue Bakayoko and Fabinho, who has been transformed from a full-back to a holding midfielder.
"As soon as Jardim arrived, he asked if I had ever played in midfield," said the Brazilian. "He saw elements of a midfielder in me…This season he's put me in midfield consistently.
"I think I can improve: in the air, my left foot, the final pass. I'm learning, but as a right-back I made it to the national team, and I think I can do well in both positions."
Thomas Lemar has also been a revelation for Monaco and was influential in both legs of the quarter-final win over Dortmund.
This is where the 2004 Monaco team really caught the eye; with their free-scoring trio of Giuly, Rothen and Morientes.
They also had support in the form of Emmanuel Adebayor and Prso, who scored four times in an 8-3 group stage win over Deportivo La Coruna.
Monaco's goal-scoring exploits continued throughout the competition as they beat Real Madrid on away goals after a 5-5 aggregate draw and then overcame Chelsea 5-3 in the semi-finals.
Morientes would finish as the top scorer with nine goals, ahead of Prso on seven, while Rothen notched the joint-most assists (6).
"There was Giuly and Morientes, and now there is Bakayoko," said Mendy after Monaco's win over Manchester City in the last 16, and up front there is a blend of youth - Kylian Mbappe - and experience - Falcao- that is working wonders.
Mbappe, who only turned 18 in December, has enjoyed a superb season, earning comparisons to Thierry Henry and reportedly attracting interest from several of Europe's top clubs. His three goals in the two legs against Dortmund proved decisive.
He says this current Monaco side are "just friends who have fun on the pitch", similar to how Cisse described the team bond in 2004 - "We want to do so well, but we just keep laughing. That's why it's so nice."
Falcao has been just as important to Monaco as Mbappe, after two seasons in the Premier League when he failed to deliver his best form.
He has scored five times in six Champions League games this year, and recently told L'Equipe: "I have been through some difficult times, but I worked in silence when some people didn't believe in me anymore.
"I believe every effort ends up being rewarded. I think the difficult times helped me grow and made me stronger."
What do the next few years hold for the current Monaco crop of exciting, young players, most of whom have reportedly been scouted by clubs around Europe? Will they be torn apart like the 2004 team that reached the final?
Back then, Morientes' loan spell ended, Rothen was sold to PSG, Giuly joined Barcelona and Prso went to Rangers.
"We all wanted to stay, except for Rothen, but they made it impossible," said Giuly later. "I mean, we'd just finished runners-up in the Champions League and they asked me to take a pay cut - the world was upside down!"
Giuly hopes the same thing will not happen to Mbappe and co. "Mbappe has a contract with Monaco and he is going to be here for another year," he said. "There has to be complete calmness with him. He has a lot of talent and we are happy with him.
"It's normal to be in the sights of big clubs, but we hope that Mbappe, like the others, remains at Monaco. Otherwise they will need to bring out a cheque with many zeros."
