AS Monaco had to suffer a second defeat in as many matches since the start of the season, this time against FC Metz. The Monegasques were beaten 3-0 despite attempts to tilt the game in their favor.
We can still remember the titanic match on Saturday, October 1, 2016, when AS Monaco inflicted a stinging defeat against Metz at home with a 7-0 thrashing. A time long past, since now, it is Metz who came out victorious this past Saturday, August 17th, with a well-deserved 3-0 result. The defeat was reminiscent of the Monegasque’s first official outing last week in the first game of the season, where Leonardo Jardim’s club already lost 3-0 against Olympique Lyonnais. It must be said that from the start, Monaco lost a valuable advantage with the expulsion of side Ruben Aguilar in the 34th minute, who received a red card for an uncontrolled tackle on the Messin Opa Nguette. Worse still, he risks a three-match suspension.
Missed opportunities
The first Metz goal arrived in the 11th minute in the form of a Habib Diallo penalty. Diallo netted a second goal in the 54th minute, followed by Renaud Cohade in the 67th minute. Deficit aside, ASM tried their luck several times, especially with goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte who managed to hold back a goal from Renaud Cohade in the 48th minute and another in the 85th minute, against the power of striker Ibrahima Niane. A scoreline of 3-0 that could have been different if the Monegasques had benefited from the penalty for Fabien Centonze’s foul on Henry Onyekuru. Eyes ahead to the next fixture.
*Article originally published in the French edition of the Monaco Tribune.