Despite showing their fighting spirit by coming from behind twice against Lorient, AS Monaco ultimately were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw.
In a match where Wissam Ben Yedder scored a vital brace and Monaco controlled proceedings for large spells, the home side were left frustrated to not obtain all three points, especially considering Lyon and Lille both dropped points this weekend.
Niko Kovac’s comments afterwards made for interesting reading, as he noted his disappointment while making a point to praise Lorient’s devastatingly efficient performance. “Lorient played very well, as they have during their last few matches. Their last few games have shown that they are on the right track now. My team did not show the same quality it has lately. Lorient played very well, scoring on their only two chances,” he stated.
Upon looking at the numbers, and it’s easy to see why Monaco will feel they should’ve gotten more out of the fixture, for they outshone Les Merlus in terms of shots (12 to five), expected goals (1.75 to 1.07), possession (70.3% to 29.7%), passes completed into the final third (73 to 19), tackles won (21 to 16) and corners (seven to one).
Even if their winning streak came to an end, a point is better than nothing for Les Monegasques, who still kept their impressive unbeaten run intact for 2021.
With a colossal clash against the mighty Paris Saint-Germain up next, Monaco will regroup during the week to ensure they come out fully focused and ready to do everything they can to defeat the reigning champions – just as they did earlier in the campaign.