AS Monaco produced another accomplished performance to defeat Nimes 3-0 at the Stade Louis II to extend their winning streak to four matches.
Controlling the match effectively aside from a spell at the beginning of the second half, there was much to like about their display, as goals from Sofiane Diop, Gelson Martins and Kevin Volland secured all three points.
Starting with Caio Henrique, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Ruben Aguilar as his backline in front of Vito Mannone in goal, the defence were solid. Youssouf Fofana and Aurelien Tchouameni resumed their posts in central midfield while the furthest forward four were Cesc Fabregas, Sofiane Diop, Martins and Volland.
Enjoying the edge in just about all phases of the game, Monaco dominated in terms of possession (67.7% to 32.3%), shots (18 to 6), pass success rate (88% to 70%), dribbles (11 to 6), corners (eight to three) and aerial duels won (24 to 12).
Although slightly annoyed at how his team started the second period, Niko Kovac cut a largely content figure after the match, saying; “I am very happy with this 3-0 victory which in my eyes is totally deserved, because we had a lot of chances in both periods.
“I was very satisfied after the first half. The start of the second act was a bit more complicated, but after the red card, we played a lot better. In the future, I would like us to master our subject for 90 minutes.”
Kovac would notably go on to praise his team’s collective efforts in keeping a clean sheet while pointing out how impressed he was with Henrique, Aguilar and Diop’s showings.
Currently occupying equal second on the Ligue 1 ladder, Monaco will turn their attention to their massive clash with fellow frontrunners Lille next week, which will offer an exciting test of their Champions League qualification credentials.