Three takeaways from AS Monaco’s spirited win over Le Havre
Despite not playing at their best, AS Monaco recorded a vital victory vs. Le Havre at the Stade Louis II, as Adi Hutter’s team not only backed up their exceptional Champions League win over Barcelona nicely, but also went joint-top of the Ligue 1 standings courtesy of the result.
With this in mind, this gives us the opportunity to focus on three takeaways from this tough encounter.
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Balogun impresses
Folarin Balogun bagged his first goal of the season in fine style against Le Havre with a sensational first-time strike, as he opened up his body expertly to rifle his finish into the corner.
While it took longer than he hoped, manager Hutter is hopeful this will be just the catalyst he needs to gain some confidence and breathe life into his term.
“It’s been a long time since he scored at home, it was against Marseille if I remember correctly a year ago. I think Balo has freed himself from a weight, he must have felt something special. He’s a player who helps us a lot in the game, so I’m very happy for him,” explained the Austrian coach.
The USMNT star’s performance was about far more than just his goal, however, for his movement, work rate and intelligence also shone brightly.
Partnering gifted hotshot George Ilenikhena upfront, Balogun worked well with the youngster to keep their foes on their toes with their interchanges and due to how they made room for each other by regularly pulling apart the Le Havre backline.
The powerful and fast attacker’s runs down the channels, in behind centrally and into the box were a real highlight as well, for his shrewdly timed and directed bursts, especially in left of centre zones, were a huge menace for Le Havre. Indeed, his astute run to generate room for Eliesse Ben Seghir prior to his sweetly struck goal served as a testament to his aptitude in this regard.
His smooth drops deeps to link play and quality hold up work added to his worth, as the strong and physically imposing 23-year-old continually offered himself as an outlet for both ground and aerial passes.
By the numbers, his six touches inside the penalty area, five shots, two dribbles, three ball recoveries and two interceptions demonstrated his immense all-round contribution.
Teze terrific
New summer signing Jordan Teze wasted little time stamping his mark on his second start for Monaco by scoring in the ninth minute, in a match where his desire to get forward was key to him influencing proceedings heavily.
“Yes, it’s the second time I’m a starter, I’m very happy to be able to play for this great team. We played well today, even if the end of the first half wasn’t good. But, in the end, we won and took the three points, that’s the most important thing,” Teze reflected.
“The coach likes the attacking positioning of the fullbacks, so I was there. I saw that, luckily, Taki was able to take the ball to cross and I just had to push the ball.”
Getting forward at every available opportunity both on zippy overlaps and crafty underlaps, there was much to like about his movement and dovetailing with his teammates to keep Le Havre guessing.
Meanwhile, his largely sound defensive efforts were encouraging too, for he chimed in with some crucial challenges to break up play, was fierce in his duels, supported teammates commendably and pressed effectively.
Statistically speaking, his 26 completed passes, seven duels won, three interceptions and two touches in the box underlined his tidy body of work.
Laying some firm foundations for success to keep gaining momentum for his new team, Teze will be eager to continue his positive start to life at Monaco.
Ben Seghir the game-changer
Entering the fray in place of the injured Soungoutou Magassa for the second stanza, Ben Seghir once again showcased his game-changing skills.
Immediately flexing his muscles with his wizardry on the dribble and nifty movement to find space wide, centrally and in the half spaces, his impact was quickly clear to see.
Looking particularly threatening in between the lines, it was a joy to watch him evade detection to get into brilliant central positions in the final third.
Once on the ball, how he weaved away from danger with his fleet feet, electric manoeuvres and clever touches, plus wreaked havoc with his inventive passing, ensured he was a major handful for Le Havre.
He then duly rewarded himself for his incisive output with his sublimely-taken goal to propel ASM into the lead, as he combined power, placement and finesse to beat Le Havre keeper Arthur Desmas.
Proving a real difference-maker and in absolutely sparkling form, it was little wonder Hutter was full of praise for the youngster when speaking after the match.
“Special mention for Eliesse, who scored a very important goal today. He had a great Olympic Games, then he came back very motivated to the club. When we watched his game against Barcelona, he not only brought plenty offensively, but also did a great job defensively. Last year, he suffered a lot from with his two injuries, but today he is alive again,” he insisted.