Ligue 1: 10-man AS Monaco reign triumphant over Toulouse
AS Monaco secured a crucial victory in their last game of 2023 against Toulouse despite falling behind early and going down to 10 men in the second half, as Wissam Ben Yedder’s brace powered them to glory.
The Match
With Adi Hutter missing a host of key players for this one due to injury or suspension, his team got off to a poor start, as Toulouse immediately put Les Monegasques on the back foot when Frank Magri gave the home team the lead within five minutes.
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Hutter’s men then worked their way into proceedings and began to play some enterprising football and dominate possession.
The away side were then rewarded for their uptick in output when Ben Yedder levelled the ledger, as he shrewdly capitalised on Christian Mawissa’s mistake.
Monaco kept building on their positive momentum and took the lead just before the interval, with Ben Yedder coolly slotting home his penalty with aplomb after Folarin Balogun had won the spot-kick.
Heading into the second half in front and looking good, things quickly changed for ASM, for Aleksandr Golovin’s red card in the 51st minute threw a real spanner in the works, meaning the remainder of the match would be a real challenge to navigate.
The shorthanded ASM managed the complicated situation admirably by working as a collective to continually deny and keep Toulouse at bay. Giving up hardly any quality chances and defending with clarity, authority and dedication against a team that hadn’t tasted victory in 10 league matches, it was impressive watching Monaco handle whatever was thrown at them.
Seeing out the game reasonably comfortably in the end to claim all three points, this hard-fought win was an ideal way to bounce back from the frustrating Lyon defeat while ensuring they hold onto third place in the Ligue 1 standings to end the year.
Hutter’s Debrief
“First of all, I really want to congratulate the whole team. After the defeat against Lyon, it was very important to respond on the pitch. It was difficult in the first moments, especially since we conceded an early goal,” explained the Austrian tactician.
“But fortunately we finished this first period well, turning the situation around with two goals. We then lost Golo, who is aware of his mistake. We will miss him, but the important thing in the end is the result.
“I have said it in previous weeks, we have already proven that we are capable of turning a match around and demonstrating a strong reaction. The fact that we’ve claimed 14 points after being behind proves that we have this ability. It’s very positive, even if I would prefer that we avoid conceding these goals.”
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in some key metrics such as expected goals (2.16 to 1.46), big chances created (3 to 2), overall duels won (55 to 50), clearances (31 to 23), blocked shots (6 to 4) and tackles won (10 to 8), illustrated what a spirited effort they put in.
Coupe de France Awaits
Up next for ASM to kick-off their 2024 is a difficult Coupe de France clash with Lens on the 6th of January, which will be a terrific test in their quest to begin the new year in style.