UEFA Champions League 2016/17: Monaco have outscored Real Madrid and Barcelona this season

Monaco have had a revival of sorts

Ligue 1 leaders AS Monaco have surprisingly outscored Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in this year’s Champions League campaign. The French club’s goals per game ratio of 3.07 goals per game is higher than Real Madrid and Barcelona, whose goals per game ratio is 2.77 and 2.67 goals per game respectively. 

Leonardo Jardim’s team are the leading goalscorers across Europe’s top six leagues and have netted 43 goals thus far this season in all competitions. On the back of a 4-0 rout over Marseille, Jardim and co. secured the club’s progress to the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham guaranteeing top spot in the group heading into the knockout stages.

Monaco have found goalscorers across their team with five players currently on five goals a piece and jointly hold the position of the club’s top scorer. Jardim’s side have netted seven more goals than Real Madrid’s 36, and eleven ahead of Barcelona and Liverpool, who have 32 goals. 

Italian club Torino round off the top five clubs across the major six leagues in Europe and boast an impressive goals tally of 31 goals and goals per game ratio of 2.21 thus far, this season. 

Monaco have scored 43 goals so far this term with 13 different players having registered a goal to their name.  A fantastic start to the new campaign has brought about a lot of admiration from players and managers who’ve worked at the club before with Southampton boss Claude Puel leading the charge claiming his former club’s Monaco’s successful start is no surprise as the fans are used to that kind of football.   

Monaco have experienced heartbreak in the Champions League over a decade ago when they were beaten in the 2004 Champions League final by Jose Mourinho's Porto.

The club are undergoing a revival of sorts as they have reshuffled their entire setup within the club and brought back Columbian Falcao, promoting youth from the academy and getting rid of old footballers who have passed their prime. A combination of these factors and a stable manager at the helm has brought exciting and successful football to the club.

With more than half of the season to go, it will be interesting to see whether Leonardo Jardim’s team can emulate the 2004 Monaco team and go one better to lift the coveted European trophy. 

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