Ligue 1: Dream start for Hutter as AS Monaco win vs. Clermont Foot
AS Monaco kicked off the new Ligue 1 campaign in fine style by claiming an impressive 2-4 victory over Clermont Foot.
The Match
Sticking to his favoured 3-4-2-1 shape for the season opener, Adi Hutter picked a strong side that had a nice blend of exciting youngsters and experienced heavy hitters.
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Immediately starting on the back foot due to the Lancers scoring in the seventh minute through Mateusz Wieteska in large part due to Philipp Kohn’s handling error, this wasn’t an ideal beginning at all. But crucially ASM responded swiftly, as Vanderson hit the woodwork shortly after before the Brazilian levelled the ledger near the half-hour mark with a slick finish following a superb combination with Takumi Minamino.
Les Monegasques then kept up their momentum to end the first half by taking the lead through Wissam Ben Yedder, who converted coolly to fire home Youssouf Fofana’s initial shot that rebounded off the post.
Clermont then raced out of the blocks to commence the second stanza, eager to get back into the contest. And that they did, when Muhammed Cham found the back of the net in the 53rd minute.
Not content with the situation, the away team rallied again and eventually powered themselves back into the lead courtesy of the dangerous Ben Yedder. Applying a nifty finish to convert Vanderson’s cutback, he yet again underlined what an asset his poaching instincts are.
A pulsating end to the fixture then ensued, which saw both teams unleash some quality efforts, with Kohn especially needing to be on his toes to preserve his team’s lead. ASM then finally gave themselves some breathing room at the death when Maghnes Akliouche bagged his first league goal to seal all three points for Hutter’s men.
Hutter’s Debrief
Getting his spell at ASM off to a bright start, the Austrian rightfully cut a content figure when speaking afterwards.
“I am happy with this victory and I want to thank the players and the staff for their performance. We played against a very good team from Clermont, to whom I want to pay tribute. To leave with the three points is very important to start the championship. I would also like to congratulate Vanderson, who was decisive twice, as was Wissam Ben Yedder. But overall it’s a great team victory,” he insisted.
“It’s always good to start with a win. When you are a coach, we have to know the difference between the result and the performance. We managed to score four goals against a team that is not used to conceding many. I am not 100% satisfied, but I’ll remember the victory for my first match on the Monegasque bench.”
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (2.82 to 1.50), shots on target (8 to 7) and shots inside the box (10 to 9) illustrated their clinical efficiency and all-round offensive threat.
Up Next
Another intriguing clash awaits Monaco when they face off with Strasbourg at the Stade Louis II next weekend, where they’ll be looking to keep things rolling in front of their home fans.