Three takeaways from AS Monaco’s stirring victory over RC Strasbourg
Following AS Monaco’s superb comeback victory over RC Strasbourg, which saw them eye-catchingly break their three-game winless streak in Ligue 1, this gives us the opportunity to focus on three takeaways from this entertaining encounter.
Ben Seghir’s heroics
Coming up big when his team needed some inspiration, the performance of Monaco’s exceptionally gifted youngster Eliesse Ben Seghir was pivotal in powering Monaco to glory.
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While he struggled in the opening stanza and hadn’t had a massive impact on proceedings for the first 75 minutes, his game-changing qualities rose to the fore in the final quarter of an hour to help his team secure the victory.
Winning the penalty with his shot that struck the arm of Diego Moreira, before converting the subsequent spot-kick with aplomb to get his team back into the game, this was the catalyst for their memorable comeback.
His heroics continued 10 minutes later when his clinical finish propelled Les Monegasques into the lead to cap off a sweeping move in fine style.
“At half-time I decided to put Eliesse Ben Seghir in as number 10, under George Ilenikhena, making him a mobile striker and he did a fantastic job in that role! Maybe he was the trigger for the rest of the team,” Adi Hutter explained when asked about Ben Seghir.
A real difference-maker and showcasing yet again why he’s such a phenomenal talent, his latest exploits will only serve to further heighten his reputation as one of the most exciting prospects in European football.
Vital return to winning ways
Given they hadn’t tasted success in three Ligue 1 games heading in, it was imperative Les Monegasques got back to winning ways against Strasbourg. And that they did by producing a solid away display to defeat a classy Strasbourg.
Although they conceded an unfortunate goal and the performance wasn’t completely mistake-free in the first half especially, Hutter was elated his team stepped up in the second stanza to get the win they craved.
“It wasn’t a good first half, we could have done better, that’s for sure. It’s a great victory and three very important points for us, after two defeats in a row in the league. I also want to salute Strasbourg for their performance. But, when we came out on the pitch in the second half, I was really impressed with my team and what we showed. Both teams have a lot of young talent in their squads, which is fun to watch, but ultimately we deserved the win today,” Hutter insisted.
“You know, we win and we lose together. Sometimes we have to accept criticism, like when we played Angers with a brand of football that wasn’t ours. I remain very happy and proud of my team for what they did tonight, especially in the second half.”
Overcoming some tough moments to ultimately get the job done, much confidence can be extracted from their character-filled output, in a match where things could’ve very easily gone against them – just like in their recent Ligue 1 games.
“This is the direction we want to go in, we want to develop our young players. It’s November, sometimes we struggle because we can’t win every game, even if that’s our primary desire. After two defeats, I liked this reaction today and it makes me very happy,” Hutter stated.
Defensive strength on show
Limiting this dangerous Strasbourg team to just five total shots, two shots on target, an expected goals reading of (0.64) and only 12 touches in their box, Monaco deserve immense credit for keeping this lively Strasbourg quiet.
Performing their roles and responsibilities largely impressively out of possession, Hutter would’ve been delighted with how they pressed efficiently, defended diligently and were strong in the duels to restrict Liam Rosenior’s team effectively.
While Radoslaw Majecki will have felt he should’ve done better on Guela Doue’s goal and Caio Henrique was substituted at the interval, there was much to like about how Thilo Kehrer, Wilfried Singo and Vanderson held their own. Excelling in their duels on the ground and in the air, harrying assertively and tracking runners attentively, their stopping contribution was crucial in stifling the home team.
Ably supported by Soungoutou Magassa and Lamine Camara in central midfield, this game underlined what a defensive force Monaco are even though much of the focus is on their thrilling frontline.
If they can reduce their mistakes moving forward and continue building relationships across the pitch, expect them to keep going from strength to strength in this regard too.