AS Monaco recorded their second 0–0 stalemate in the space of three days by drawing against Reims.
The Match
Once again enjoying the lion’s share of possession but failing to translate their ascendancy over to the scoresheet, this match frustratingly followed a theme that’s been familiar this season.
On a night where quality chances were at a premium against a tough to break down Reims who defended manfully, Monaco’s talented frontline of Wissam Ben Yedder, Gelson Martins, Aleksandr Golovin and Sofiane Diop couldn’t land a telling blow.
Credit especially must go to Reims’ two central defenders in Yunis Abdelhamid and Wout Faes, for they put in brilliant shifts to ensure Les Monegasques remained goalless.
The fact Monaco kept their second consecutive clean sheet was, however, a highlight, with Alexander Nubel and his backline executing their duties admirably.
“Unfortunately we did not have the chance to make the difference at the end of the game, despite our domination. Despite everything, this is a second consecutive clean sheet, which is positive on a defensive level for the team,” said Nubel.
Key Stats
By the numbers, Monaco had the better of Reims in terms of possession (58% to 42%), Expected Goals (1.06 to 0.44) and shots (12 to 11), but were ultimately unable to find a breakthrough, forcing them to settle for a draw.
Badiashile shines
Backing up his solid output vs. PSV, Benoit Badiashile shone against Reims, in what was one of his best showings of the campaign. Reading the play smartly, good in his duels, strong in the tackle and monitoring markers sharply, his defensive work was excellent. Passing and carrying the ball effectively, his contribution was impressive in possession too.
Time to recalibrate
Monaco now head into the international break sitting in mid-table, not where they hope to be, with five wins, five losses and three draws from their 13 matches.
Facing off with Lille upon returning to action, they’ll be eager to use this time to reset and recharge so they can come out firing and get back on track.