- Monaco were leading against Besiktas before Cenk Tosun’s penalty
- The result leaves Leonardo Jardim’s side bottom of their group
- The French champions are four points behind second-placed Porto
Leonardo Jardim had mixed feelings after watching Monaco drop two vital points in their Champions League meeting with Besiktas.
The French champions face an uphill battle to reach the knockout stages – last year they reached a semi-final against Juventus – after collecting just two points from their first four fixtures.
Rony Lopes fired them ahead in Istanbul on Wednesday night, but Monaco could not re-establish a winning position after Cenk Tosun equalised from the penalty spot shortly after half-time.
Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim was left frustrated after the draw against Besiktas
With only two games remaining after this 1-1 draw, Jardim’s men will need one of RB Leipzig or Porto to collapse if they are to squeeze into the last 16.
Quoted by the club’s official Twitter account, the Portuguese coach said: ‘I have two distinct emotions. I’m sad about the result but very pleased with the team’s attitude.
‘We played very well, we squeezed the opponent and created opportunities. The players used a lot of energy tonight and pushed themselves to the limit. That is our philosophy.
Monaco had taken the lead away in Istanbul when Rony Lopes scored for the visitors
‘Only the great teams can play at this kind of level in such an atmosphere.
‘We have to keep believing – it’s not over. If there is a draw tonight (between Leipzig and Porto), we will still have a chance. Otherwise the goal will be to qualify for the Europa League.’
Goalscorer Lopes added: ‘We’re disappointed because we played a great game and perhaps we deserved to win.
‘We’ll wait and see what happens (in Porto) tonight. We will give everything we have right until the end.’
Cenk Tosun scored from the penalty spot to level the game after 54 minutes
Besiktas, who withstood a storm of Monaco pressure over the final minutes, are on the brink of qualifying for the next round after reaching the 10-point mark.
Defender Pepe, who lifted the Champions League trophy with Real Madrid in June, told bjk.com.tr: ‘We did want to lose today but we’re sorry we did not win.
‘We’re in a good position in the group and we represent Turkish football well.’