Ligue 1: AS Monaco’s unbeaten streak ends in derby loss vs. OGC Nice
AS Monaco suffered their first defeat of the season by falling 2-1 to OGC Nice, on a night where they were reduced to 10 men just before half-time.
The Match
Adi Hutter selected a terrific side that was littered with quality despite him being forced into a late change, as Denis Zakaria had to be replaced by Soungoutou Magassa.
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Kicking off the match on the front foot, Les Monegasques quickly settled into their rhythm and gained control of the match.
Coming close early through a Takumi Minamino chance that had to be cleared off the line, it then appeared as though ASM had taken the lead only for Breel Embolo’s strike to be ruled out for offside.
Some decent opportunities then came for each team, but the two Polish goalkeepers in Radoslaw Majecki and Marcin Bulka held firm.
Embolo wouldn’t be denied, however, for he propelled Les Rouge et Blanc into a deserved lead in the 39th minute courtesy of his crisp finish following Maghnes Akliouche’s crafty assist.
Drama then struck for Monaco just prior to the interval when Nice drew level through Evann Guessand and Vanderson harshly received his marching orders for a second yellow after a scuffle.
Although they faced the entire second stanza short-handed, there was much to admire about how Hutter’s men approached the challenge with determination.
While Nice unsurprisingly enjoyed a higher portion of possession and were more dangerous going forward, the threat of Monaco remained, which was evidenced by Lamine Camara hitting the woodwork in the 57th minute.
An unfortunate error from Krepin Diatta would ultimately decide the contest, as Gaetan Laborde latched onto his underhit back pass and smartly chipped Majecki to send Les Aiglons ahead.
Eager to push for an equaliser, the likes of Embolo and Eliesse Ben Seghir unleashed some decent attempts, but it just wasn’t to be for Monaco, who frustratingly fell just short.
Hutter’s Debrief
“I’m not happy with the result obviously. When you lose the derby, everyone feels sad, that’s for sure. But we are guilty in this defeat, because we had the game in our hands. We did two stupid things that took us out of the game, and in the second half, with a numerical inferiority, Nice took advantage to take the lead,” insisted the Austrian tactician.
“We get too many red cards, that’s for sure! What I saw is that we were clearly the best team on the pitch eleven against eleven in the first half. We had two or three clear situations, without managing to score. Then we committed a stupid foul, which led to the free-kick for the goal. Then Vanderson received a red card after a disproportionate reaction. We are very disappointed for our supporters, who were still numerous this evening to support us. I am just surprised that the rules change sometimes, we do not always know if there is handball or not, and on the action at the start of the match, it is a penalty for me. Despite everything, we must respect these decisions.”
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact ASM still held the ascendancy in terms of possession (60% to 40%) and passes in the opposition half (228 to 132) showcased the danger they posed in spite of having one less player for the second stanza.
Angers Awaits
Desperate to bounce back and swiftly return to winning ways, up next for Monaco is Angers, in a match where they’ll want to quickly forget their first loss of the campaign to secure all three points.