Friendly: Dominant AS Monaco forced to settle for a draw vs. Sturm Graz
Despite dominating huge portions of their clash with Austrian champions Sturm Graz, AS Monaco were ultimately forced to settle for a 2-2 draw.
The Match
Picking a squad full of heavy hitters such as Aleksandr Golovin, Takumi Minamino, Wilfried Singo, Thilo Kehrer, Krepin Diatta and Mohammed Salisu, Adi Hutter’s team made a strong start to the encounter.
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While Minamino came closest in the early exchanges, it was Sturm Graz who opened the scoring courtesy of William Boving in the 21st minute.
It didn’t take long for ASM to level the ledger, however, when Minamino fired home from the penalty spot after he’d won the spot-kick.
The Austrian outfit then powered ahead just prior to the interval, with Mika Biereth converting a penalty following a harsh handball call.
Down a goal at the break and eager to mount a comeback, Les Monegasques duly equalised prior to the hour mark, as Eliot Matazo latched onto Salisu’s cross to score with aplomb.
Related Reading: Matazo showing why he can be a real asset for Hutter’s AS Monaco
The final stages of this hugely entertaining fixture saw plenty of chances for both teams, with the likes of Golovin, Felix Lemarechal, Vanderson, Myron Boadu and Ismail Jakobs all enjoying some decent attempts. None were successful, however, thus ensuring the match ended in a draw.
Hutter’s Debrief
“The draw is quite logical for both teams, who each had opportunities to win this match. But when you look at the content of the 90 minutes, I think we still deserved to win. We had possession and the pitch was not easy. I am quite satisfied with this match. We are in the fourth week of preparation, and the intensity is increasing, it is positive,” explained Hutter.
Diatta’s Comments
“Overall, we played the right match because we had the ball and the game was good. Of our first three preparation matches, in terms of play and commitment, this one is really the best. We saw automatisms, we combined well, even if we should have done better in our finishing,” he reflected.
The Senegalese international then added this on what a threat the masterful Minamino is when playing upfront: “I played against him with Bruges and he played up front with Erling Haaland. He’s a very intelligent player, so I don’t think it’s a problem for him.”
On The Horizon
Next on the agenda for Monaco is leaving Austria on Sunday before they continue their preparations for the new season with exciting games against Feyenoord and Barcelona.