Attacks perhaps changed Dortmund players' concentration, feels Falcao

Playing just a day after their team bus was attacked outside the team hotel, it was not easy for Borussia Dortmund's players, Monaco striker Radamel Falcao said.

"It was difficult to deal with everything that happened," Falcao, who captained Monaco, was quoted as saying by ESPNFC.

"We stayed very focused for two days for this game, the attacks perhaps changed the (Dortmund) players' concentration. It's difficult for the Dortmund players, a player was injured, but UEFA decided that we had to play," he added.

The bus was targeted by three bomb blasts on Tuesday, with former FC Barcelona defender Marc Bartra requiring surgery on a broken wrist.

 

The game on Wednesday night finished 3-2 in favour of Monaco but the French Ligue 1 side were 2-0 up at half-time only to see second-half goals from Ousmane Dembele and Shinji Kagawa pegging the German Bundesliga side back.

The twin strikes were sandwiched between Monaco's Kylian Mbappe's goal which turned out to be the winner.

"It was a difficult game overall because of our opponents and also the context," Mbappe said.

"We tried to give the best of ourselves, I tried to give the best of myself. We leave with an advantage, not extremely big, but big all the same. I've always been told that when I get the ball, something has to happen. I try to apply myself every time I play. Today, it went for me. I hope it'll be like that every day.

"I'm a player, when you're under pressure, you have to keep a clear head, be calm. You can get carried away in a game like that. I knew that there would be a chance to take, and it was the second goal," he added.

--IANS

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