The visitors made a very bright start and were duly rewarded with an early lead, when a smart pass from Maghnes Akliouche fed Takumi Minamino inside the penalty area, allowing the Japan international to poke the ball into the bottom corner after just five minutes played.
Pafos, though, went desperately close to levelling the match almost instantly, as Anderson Silva’s looping shot from just outside the edge of the area rattled the bar to Monaco’s relief.
Nevertheless, the reigning Cypriot champions found an equaliser in the 18th minute with one of the best headed goals you will see all season. Mislav Orsic’s excellent corner was met by David Luiz, and his majestic effort flew past Lukas Hradecky into the top corner to send the home support wild - it also made him the second-oldest goalscorer in the competition’s history.
Pafos’ joy was short-lived, however, as a dreadful misplaced pass by goalkeeper Neofytos Michail put Folarin Balogun clean through on goal, and the USA international did not let the chance go to waste, promptly rifling the ball into the back of the net to restore Monaco’s lead and net his second UCL goal of the season.
Sebastien Pocognoli’s side should really have extended their lead before the interval when Minamino had a clear sight of goal in the 39th minute, but his shot lacked composure and drifted off target.
Shortly after half-time, Balogun was presented with a golden opportunity to notch his second goal of the night after latching onto an excellent through ball from Minamino. Michail came to his team’s rescue though, producing a vital block to keep Pafos in contention.
Balogun’s spurned effort almost proved to be costly as Hradecky was forced into an excellent save to deny Silva’s stinging effort at the other end.
Yet, with the match seemingly petering out in the latter stages, Pafos secured a vital draw in dramatic circumstances when the ball ricocheted off Salisu and into his own net, sparking scenes of jubilation in Cyprus.
A share of the spoils apiece means that both Pafos and Monaco rise up to 22nd and 23rd respectively in the league phase table, with six points collected from their opening five games. Pafos head coach Juan Carlos Carcedo will be absolutely delighted that his team have still only lost one game in the league phase, while Monaco fans will definitely view this game as two points dropped rather than one point gained.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco)