Friendly: Bayern Munich down AS Monaco in exciting encounter
Although AS Monaco fell to an incredibly talented Bayern Munich 4-2 in their final friendly, there were still many positives to extract from this entertaining encounter.
The Match
Despite the Bavarian giants racing out of the blocks with gusto, as Serge Gnabry unleashed two early efforts that Philipp Kohn smartly repelled, it was ASM who took the lead courtesy of Takumi Minamino (29), who capitalised on a positive spell by Les Monegasques.
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Adi Hutter’s men’s ascendancy didn’t last long, however, for Thomas Tuchel’s team levelled the ledger almost immediately through Konrad Laimer.
Bayern then really stamped their mark to close out the first half in style, with Jamal Musiala and Gnabry ensuring the German champions went into the break 3-1 up.
The chances kept flowing to begin the second stanza, with Guillermo Maripan coming close with a header while Mathys Tel hit the post for the Reds.
Monaco then halved the deficit when Wissam Ben Yedder converted a penalty that Minamino won to set up a fascinating last half-hour. But Leroy Sane’s 68th minute strike ended ASM’s hopes of a comeback even though they fired off some promising attempts in the remaining portion of the contest.
Showing many encouraging signs with and without possession, all eyes will now turn to the start of the Ligue 1 campaign against Clermont Foot this Sunday.
Minamino’s Debrief
“They were a tough opponent, but we want to get back to the Champions League, so if we want to play in it again, we have to get used to fighting against these kinds of teams. We must continue to work hard for this,” he recalled.
“The first ten minutes of the match were not easy, Bayern Munich were playing with incredible intensity. We were maybe a little nervous, but then we knew how to react by having good phases. We were rewarded by opening the scoring. Unfortunately, then we lost too many easy balls in our part of the field. That’s why they managed to score three goals before the break, and that’s an area where we can still improve.”
He then added his thoughts on playing behind the striker and on his side’s upcoming Ligue 1 season opener. “Honestly it’s the position in which I prefer to operate – just behind the centre forward. It’s really a position in which I thrive and where I feel good, that’s for sure.
“Of course, the match comes very quickly and it’s always important to start a season well. We absolutely want to start this new 2023/2024 season in the best possible way. That’s why we’re going to Clermont to win and bring back the three points.”
Season Opener Awaits
With their largely positive pre-season now complete, Monaco will rapidly turn their attention to their highly-anticipated Ligue 1 clash with Clermont Foot, where they’ll be looking to kick-off the new crusade with a bang.