Aston Villa’s bid for automatic qualification to the Champions League round of 16 suffered a setback on Tuesday after a 1-0 defeat to Monaco.
Villa had initially topped the standings in the league phase after winning their first three matches.
However, the loss to Monaco now puts the Premier League side at risk of falling out of the top eight.
The competition’s format ensures that teams ranked between ninth and 24th in the 36-team table must go through a playoff to secure a spot in the round of 16.
Monaco, currently in ninth place, sealed their win through Wilfried Singo’s eighth-minute goal from a corner.
Tags: UCL
