Manchester City were denied victory in Monaco as Eric Dier’s dramatic stoppage-time penalty earned the hosts a 2-2 draw in a fiery Champions League contest.
Erling Haaland looked to have put Pep Guardiola’s men on the path to back-to-back group-stage wins with a first-half double, either side of Jordan Teze’s thunderous equaliser.
But City’s wastefulness in front of goal came back to haunt them, with the VAR awarding a contentious late spot-kick that Dier calmly converted.
The decisive moment came five minutes from time. As Teze’s free-kick dropped into the box, Nico González stretched for the ball with his boot raised and caught Dier in the face after making contact.
Following a lengthy VAR review and chaotic scenes on the touchline that saw a Monaco coach dismissed, referee Jesús Gil Manzano pointed to the spot. Dier stepped up and coolly sent Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way to snatch a point for the home side.
City, however, will rue missed chances to put the game to bed. Phil Foden’s thunderous drive struck the underside of the bar, while Tijjani Reijnders also rattled the woodwork during a slick counterattack.
Haaland, who now has an astonishing 52 goals in 50 Champions League appearances, could have had more than his brace, which showcased his trademark finishing.
The Norwegian opened the scoring after 15 minutes, racing onto Josko Gvardiol’s lofted pass and delicately flicking the ball over goalkeeper Philipp Köhn.
Teze then levelled with a spectacular curling strike from the edge of the box, but Haaland restored City’s lead just before the interval, rising high to power Nico O’Reilly’s floated cross into the net.
Monaco threatened sporadically in the second half, Eliesse Ben Seghir forcing Donnarumma into a sharp save, while City lost midfield anchor Rodri to injury shortly after the restart.
Haaland again went close from distance, but when City failed to score a decisive third, Monaco pounced late.
For Guardiola’s side, the draw will feel like two points dropped, while Monaco celebrated a hard-earned result that came wrapped in controversy.
