ESTAC Troyes - AS Monaco Sunday at 13:00 CET (1100 GMT)

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Rarely can a team have produced such an accomplished away performance in Europe only to be eliminated. Monaco overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their Champions League play-off against Shakhtar Donetsk with a brace by captain Wissam Ben Yedder in the first half of the return leg in Ukraine and they had plenty of chances to kill the tie off.

However, Shakhtar pulled a goal back, forcing extra time with the away goals rule now banished. Then Monaco were stung by a remarkably unlucky Rubén Águilar own goal, the substitute somehow diverting a cutback over his own goalkeeper and into the net to make it 2-2 on the night and force Niko Kovac’s side to settle for a place in the group stage of the Europa League, joining Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille in the second-tier competition.

“When I look at the two matches and the 210 minutes played, I would say we dominated for 190 minutes. In the first 20 minutes of the first leg, we weren’t the real AS Monaco that I know. But at the end of the day I have to say that sometimes football is really cruel. It’s hard,” Kovac said.

“When I arrived at the Club, I said that we wanted to bring AS Monaco back to Europe. We did it. Unfortunately we missed the opportunity to play in the Champions League. We were very close and we will be able to rely on this experience to play in the Europa League, especially the young players, because Europe is new to them.

Highlights: Monaco beaten by Lens

“Playing only in Ligue 1 is quite ‘easy’, but going back and forth between two competitions is new to them. We must refocus quickly on the match against Troyes.”

Monaco have endured a poor start to the Ligue 1 season, drawing at home to FC Nantes on the opening night and then losing their two subsequent fixtures, going down 1-0 at FC Lorient and 2-0 at home to RC Lens last weekend. Against Lens they conceded poor goals and ended with 10 men after the late sending-off of Aleksandr Golovin. There is therefore pressure on the principality club as they head to the Stade de l’Aube.

Monaco - who invested more than €30 million in the summer on bringing in Myron Boadu, Jean Lucas and Ismail Jakobs as well as the loan signing of goalkeeper Alexander Nübel -  now need to begin their climb up the table as they seek to build on an impressive first campaign under Kovac. Golovin is suspended while there will be some aching limbs after the long night in Kharkiv and the long trip back. Djibril Sidibé, who was outstanding against Shakhtar, will be assessed after coming off with a knock.

Troyes: Also winless, sign Rami

Troyes are one of three teams in the division to have picked up just one point from their first three matches, along with Monaco. The other is RC Strasbourg Alsace, with whom ESTAC drew last weekend after Yoann Touzghar had given them the lead. Before that the team coached by Laurent Batlles played well but lost 2-1 at home to Paris Saint-Germain on the opening day and then went down 2-0 at fellow newly-promoted side Clermont Foot 63.

“To win matches in Ligue 1 you need to create chances, which we are doing, but we need to better at putting them away,” said Batlles, the man who led Troyes to the Ligue 2 title last season.

The side from the southern Champagne region became part of the City Football Group last year, joining the Manchester City galaxy. They hope that backing can help them consolidate in the elite after having been a yo-yo club for most of the last two decades: since 2005 they have been promoted to Ligue 1 five times but have never lasted more than two seasons at this level.

Highlights: Troyes held at Strasbourg

This week Troyes welcomed a world champion into their ranks, signing centre-back Adil Rami on a one-year deal. The 35-year-old spent last year in Portugal with Boavista after spells in Turkey and Russia since leaving Marseille in 2019.

“I am very honoured and very proud to wear this shirt,” said the 2018 World Cup winner. “I had my reasons for leaving Boavista but I kept working to stay in shape. It wasn’t yet the time for me to hang up my boots. I had some exotic offers but when I heard back from Troyes I thought: ‘Let’s go’. I know I will be closely followed but I wanted to come back to France and play here. It is perfect for me.”

He will hope to slide into a three-man central defence at the Stade de l’Aube but may have to wait to make his debut. Issa Kaboré, the Burkina Faso international right-back signed on loan from Manchester City, can return after suspension. It has been a busy summer for Troyes, who look to have persuaded striker Yoann Touzghar - scorer of 16 goals in Ligue 2 last season - to sign a new deal. At one point the Tunisian international looked set for a move to Spain.

Probable teams

Troyes: Gallon; Kaboré, El Hajjam, Giraudon, Salmier, Biancone; Chambost, Kouamé, Tardieu, Ripart; Touzghar

Monaco: Nubel; Aguilar, Maripan, Disasi, Henrique; Tchouaméni, Fofana; Diop, Volland, Boadu; Ben Yedder