Ligue 1: AS Monaco suffer crushing loss vs. Rennes
AS Monaco suffered a crushing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Rennes, which means they’ve dropped from fourth to sixth in the Ligue 1 standings following Lille’s win over Nantes.
The Match
Beginning the game in their now familiar three at the back shape, Philippe Clement’s men kicked off the match on the right foot, as Vanderson produced a promising headed effort in just the second minute that was smartly saved by Steve Mandanda.
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Rennes then began to stamp their authority in front of the fans inside a packed Roazhon Park, with the likes of Karl Toko Ekambi, Benjamin Bourigeaud and Lovro Majer unleashing shots towards Alexander Nubel’s goal.
The two teams then proceeded to exchange chances and periods of ascendancy throughout the remainder of the first half.
While the score was 0-0 at the interval, it wasn’t long until the home team went ahead courtesy of Majer, who found the back of the net after some tidy work by midfield wizard Bourigeaud.
Wanting an instant response, Clement quickly made a triple substitution in hope of getting Les Monegasques back into the contest.
Frustratingly, though, this move didn’t have the desired impact, for Amine Gouiri doubled Rennes’ advantage with roughly 20 minutes left to throw a spanner in the works.
Even though ASM tried their best to mount a comeback, they fell short in the end, losing the game 2-0, in a match that’s put a major dent in their European qualification aspirations.
Clement’s Debrief
“We were focused on getting the job done, but up front we failed to use the spaces Rennes were leaving. We had a few chances on set-pieces, but not enough on transitions,” explained the Belgian manager.
“I’m not angry, because I’ve seen players who have given everything to take points here. But I also saw players who are not at the top of their confidence, it was quite obvious in certain situations. We will now have to work hard during this last week to bring back the three points against Toulouse and look at the results of the other matches.
“It’s a tough place to be in after having had better times this season. I remember we were fighting for second place not long ago. But the level of the team has definitely dropped.”
Defining Stats
By the numbers, the fact Rennes bettered their foes in terms of expected goals (1.26 to 0.55), shots on target (6 to 3), shots inside the box (7 to 5), passes in the opposition half (193 to 170) and possession (57% to 43%) underlined their threat, as they ultimately did enough to claim all three points.
Final Fixture Awaits
Up next for Monaco, in what will be their final game of the season, is a clash with Toulouse, where they have to win and hope results go in their favour to have any chance of grabbing a spot in Europe next term.