Watch: Malang Sarr scores comical own goal in Europa League game

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Chelsea loanee Malang Sarr could do little about the ball ending up in the net at his and Monaco's expense

Malang Sarr Monaco Europa League
(Image credit: Getty Images / BT Sport)

Malang Sarr, playing for Monaco on loan from Chelsea, scored a comical own goal in the French side's 4-0 Europa League loss to Trabzonspor on Thursday night.

With the ball played back to his goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, Sarr started jogging into a position which would provide both an option for the keeper and plenty of space for himself should he receive the ball. 

However, with Sarr on his way, the goalkeeper proceeded to smash a pass at hip height towards the left back, Caio Henrique. Sarr had little time to react, and the ball squarely smashed him in his upper thigh, rebounding into the open net and giving Trabzonspor their first goal of the night in the 44th minute.

Watch Malang Sarr's nightmare own goal

The Turkish side then went onto score another three goals in the second half, dispatching Monaco 4-0. And it all started with that extraordinarily unlucky own goal from Sarr.

The result leaves Monaco third in Group H, three points behind Ferencvaros and behind Trabzonspor on head-to-head. Each second-placed team will face a third-placed Champions League side in a play-off tie at the end of the group stages to determine who will progress in the Europa League.

Malang Sarr of Chelsea reacts during the Florida Cup match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Camping World Stadium on July 23, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

Malang Sarr in preseason action for the Blues (Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Sarr joined Chelsea in 2020 from French side Nice, but was immediately sent on loan to Porto. The 23-year-old returned to London last summer, appearing 21 times across the 2021/22 campaign. 

Only eight of those appearances were in the league, though, leading to Thomas Tuchel sending him out on loan to Monaco for more game time. At the time of writing, he has played five league games and twice in Europe for them. 

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter giving a press conference

Let's hope Graham Potter isn't too discouraged by the error  (Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

With Graham Potter now the manager at Chelsea, he might not be too encouraged with the Frenchman's performance on Thursday night, regardless of whether the own goal was unavoidable or not. 

Conceding four to Trabzonspor, currently sat seventh in Turkey, isn't the best of looks, after all. 

Ryan Dabbs
Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.