Three takeaways from AS Monaco’s smashing Coupe de France win over Union Saint-Jean
AS Monaco impressively returned to winning ways by defeating Union Saint-Jean 1-4 in the Coupe de France.
In a match that was full of positives for Monaco and littered with excitement for the fans in attendance, goals from Eliesse Ben Seghir, Vanderson, Jordan Teze and George Ilenikhena propelled Monaco to a crucial victory over the side that play five divisions lower than Les Monegasques.
Advertising
With this in mind, this gives us the opportunity to focus on three takeaways from this tough encounter.
Lienard’s strong debut
Yann Lienard enjoyed a fine day at the office on his professional debut, as the goalkeeper put in a quality shift to mark the occasion in style.
Chiming in with a host of vital saves to deny his opponents at various stages, coming off his line sharply, passing the ball with precision and looking right at home at the elite level, there was much to like about his efforts between the posts.
Executing his roles and responsibilities effectively and showing what a talented shot-stopper he is, the 21-year-old cut a delighted figure when speaking after the contest.
“I’m happy to have been part of this victory, especially with this save at the end of the first half. I think it made the task easier for the team because it was a save at the right time, at 2-0,” he explained.
“In a team like AS Monaco, you have to know how to stay focused because chances are rare against us. It’s a great team that plays at the top of the table in Ligue 1, it is likely to concede few attacks, so you have to know how to always be vigilant to be decisive when necessary. I have no problem communicating with players like Thilo (Kehrer), Wilfried (Singo) or Mohammed (Salisu), who play in the Champions League. I work with them every day in training, and they are asking for it [communication], because if I don’t give them the orders, maybe they will have trouble getting into a situation where they need me. I did my job by putting them back in position and communicating with them and I think it worked well today.”
While he was slightly disappointed not to keep a clean sheet, all things considered, this was a terrific first outing on the big stage and will give him a huge boost of confidence for when he’s next called upon.
Tactically flexible Teze excels
Handed his fifth start of the campaign, the way Jordan Teze stepped up and was an integral figure towards this smashing victory was mightily impressive.
While his remarkable second-half strike from distance and crisp assist caught the headlines, his match was about far more than these statement contributions.
Showcasing why his tactical flexibility and versatility is such an asset, it was notable how he played the first half at right-back before being moved into central midfield for the second stanza.
“He had a good performance. We decided to put him at No.6 at half-time because we needed a player of his technical quality at the heart of the game. That’s why we chose to put him in midfield in the second half,” reflected ASM assistant coach Christian Peintinger.
Excelling in both roles with his class in possession, intelligent reading of the play and determined defensive work, he was certainly one of his team’s best in this encounter.
By the numbers, his 14 passes into the final third, four shots, three touches inside the box, two chances created, four ball recoveries, four successful ground duels and two won headers further accentuated what a weapon he was offensively and defensively for Les Rouge et Blanc.
Reims showdown awaits
Having emphatically defeated Union Saint-Jean, it’s now been confirmed Monaco will play Reims in the Round of 32.
Set to be held on January the 15th at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, this clash will be a tough test for Les Monegasques, who recently played out a 0-0 draw with Luka Elsner’s men.
With 13 Ligue 1 teams left in the competition and four from National 3 in the form of Bourgoin-Jallieu, Dives-Cabourg, Espaly and Thaon sealing their passage, the next round of matches will be immensely entertaining.
Seeing this showpiece tournament as a brilliant opportunity to win some silverware, Adi Hutter’s recent words on the Coupe de France underlined how seriously Monaco are taking their cup adventures.
“I like this competition, which brings together nearly 6,000 or 7,000 teams in France, with eight matches before our entry into the competition. It’s a great competition, and I have a lot of respect for these teams who have to go through so many rounds to face Ligue 1 teams or simply professional teams. But our goal is clear, the Coupe de France is also one of our main objectives for the season. So I can assure you that we are approaching it seriously,” insisted the 54-year-old.
“This competition is really special, and then it’s an opportunity to go and fight for a title. Our goal is clearly to do everything to get to the final. All the clubs that are entering this competition want to win it, that’s obvious.”
