Ligue 1: AS Monaco reign supreme in pulsating derby vs. OGC Nice

Desperate to return to winning ways after their shock Coupe de France exit, AS Monaco did exactly that by defeating OGC Nice 2-3 in a thrilling derby clash under the eyes of President Dmitry Rybolovlev.

The Match

Switching to a four at the back shape (4-2-3-1) for this crunch fixture, Adi Hutter was eager for a reaction from his team after the aforementioned setback, with some key selections being Thilo Kehrer being deployed at right-back and Mohamed Camara coming in to bolster the midfield ranks.

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While the early signs weren’t great as ASM settled into the match, it wasn’t long before they hit the front through Denis Zakaria’s thunderous long range blast in the 16th minute.

This moment of magic by the Swiss international immediately drew a response from Nice, with Morgan Sanson and Dante producing some solid efforts. Takumi Minamino then tested Marcin Bulka with a strong attempt, in a match where tensions were rising.

Nice then levelled the ledger from the penalty spot courtesy of Gaeten Laborde after Kehrer was deemed to have committed a foul worthy of conceding a spot-kick.

With the momentum now in Nice’s favour, Monaco had Philipp Kohn to thank for ensuring they headed into the interval on equal footing, for he produced a superb stop to deny Evann Guessand.

Coming out with renewed focus, Les Monegasques edged ahead again, as Zakaria’s smashing header was too hot for Bulka.

The away team’s chances of victory then increased immensely due to Dante receiving a red card for a nasty challenge on Minamino.

To their credit, Les Aiglons reacted admirably and got back on level terms when Guessand found the back of the net following a corner.

Knowing the game was up for grabs, Hutter’s men powered back in front roughly 10 minutes from time, as Aleksandr Golovin crucially slotted home from close range.

While the remainder of the match saw both teams enjoy and squander chances, Monaco ultimately secured all three points to prevail in a fiercely contested encounter.

Hutter’s Debrief

“It was a big match between two very good teams fighting for the qualifying places for the Champions League. I also want to congratulate Nice on their match. Personally I am very happy with our performance, with the reaction my players showed today, and obviously proud of this victory in the derby,” a delighted Hutter insisted.

“The best thing that can happen in football is to give a response on the pitch. My players showed what it took to react after the elimination in Rouen. I insist on the fact that it is not easy to score three goals here in Nice, who have achieved 12 clean sheets since the start of the season.

“We made an impact and were united to achieve this result. We were under pressure and came back in Nice this evening. So winning here is a great feeling!”

Key Stats

By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in terms of open play expected goals (1.94 to 0.98), possession (53% to 47%) and passes in the opposition half (217 to 143) illustrated their threat in offensive areas especially.

Up Next

Currently sitting just one point behind second placed Nice in the Ligue 1 table, the challenge will now be carrying their momentum into their game with Toulouse next weekend to ensure they keep strengthening their case for Champions League qualification.