After beating Dutch champions PSV 2-1 in Eindhoven last time out, Didier Deschamps‘ men showed they could be a surprise package in this year‘s competition by dismantling an AEK side who held Deportivo to a 1-1 draw in week one.

Yiannis Okkas missed a great early chance for AEK when he glanced Christos Maladenis’s left-foot cross wide from close range, a miss which proved costly in the 15th minute.

That was the time when Monaco opened their account for the evening when a Patrice Evra left-wing cross missed intended target Shedi Adebayor, but the ball ran away from the defender and fell at the feet of captain Ludovic Giuly, via a deflection off goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis, and he rifled home unchallenged from 10 yards.

Fernando Morientes doubled the home team’s lead 12 minutes later when he fired low past Chiotis after Sebastien Squillaci headed Jerome Rothen’s corner against the bar.

Julien Rodriguez should have made it three just before the interval when he rose unchallenged to head another superb Rothen corner a yard wide.

The Principality did extended their advantage, and put the game out of the Greek side‘s reach, when the impressive Morientes grabbed his second of the night, and 20th Champions League goal.

Again a Rothen cross did the damage. His well flighted pass from the right found the on-loan Real Madrid striker with time and space, which he used expertly to guide a header past a stranded Chiotis.

From then on it was a case of how many more Monaco wanted to score.

Adebayor put the ball into the side netting after Giuly‘s cross with 20 minutes remaining, then substitute Edouard Cisse knocked wide from a tight angle.

Okkas should have pulled one back for AEK with four minutes remaining, only to head well over from six yards.

Less than 60 seconds later sub Dado Prso added a fourth for Monaco, capping off a clever move involving Giuly with a fine finish from 10 yards,