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Review

Ligue 1: AS Monaco produce stirring comeback to reign supreme over OGC Nice

By Edward Stratmann
Published on 30 March 2025
5 minutes read
AS Monaco
The Rouge et Blanc obtained a very fine victory at home in the Derby (2-1), to go second in Ligue 1 © AS Monaco
By Edward Stratmann
- 30 March 2025
5 minutes read

Despite falling behind in the first half, goals from Mika Biereth and Breel Embolo ensured AS Monaco secured a vital victory in the Derby vs. OGC Nice under the eyes of President Dmitry Rybolovlev.

For this 108th meeting between the two rivals from the Côte d’Azur, a great initiative marked the occasion. As part of the Week of Education against Racism and Anti-Semitism, players of both teams wore jerseys with a clear message: “No to racism”.

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30 minutes prior to kick-off, Thiago Scuro, General Manager of the Principality Club, presented a special jersey to the representatives of LICRA Monaco. A few days earlier, a photo shoot brought together Thilo Kehrer, Monaco’s vice-captain, and Dante, Nice’s captain, in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, facing the sea. A brilliant way to remind us that fundamental values go beyond sporting rivalries.

The Match

Picking a strong line-up for this massive match, Adi Hutter’s team for this one consisted of a nice blend of physicality, athleticism and technical qualities, as he was certainly vindicated with his shrewd selections.

© AS Monaco

Starting the match on the right foot, Les Monegasques quickly won a penalty inside five minutes. But Biereth disappointingly had his spot-kick saved by Marcin Bulka.

Takumi Minamino then rattled the woodwork shortly after with a sublime strike, as ASM made a very bright opening to proceedings.

Les Aiglons gradually grew into the game, though, for the likes of Pablo Rosario, Jeremie Boga and Ali Abdi registered decent attempts before making ASM pay for not converting their chances when Boga powered the away side into the lead just prior to the interval.

Eager to get back into the contest, Monaco made a positive beginning to the second stanza. And they finally rewarded themselves when Biereth blasted the ball home to level the ledger following some excellent work by Maghnes Akliouche.

Further opportunities arrived for both outfits, as Akliouche, Denis Zakaria and Evann Guessand all tried their luck without scoring.

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Monaco’s offensive maestro in Akliouche rose to the fore again, with him conjuring up some more magic to set up Embolo to finish with aplomb in the 73rd minute. The supporters and the Club President erupted in joy to celebrate Embolo’s 5th goal of the season, which gave the advantage in one of the most important matches of the season.

This goal ultimately proved to be the winner, despite the returning Folarin Balogun missing a presentable 1v1, on a night where ASM’s victory propelled them into second in the Ligue 1 standings.

The Rouge et Blanc celebrate Breel Embolo’s decisive goal in front of 11,564 spectators at the Stade Louis-II © AS Monaco

Hutter’s Debrief

“We had a good start to the match, and the first 20 minutes were very good. The missed penalty was a thing we’ve seen before, but the goal we conceded was a bit different this time because we had time to come back and change the result,” reflected the Austrian tactician.

“We were the best team on the pitch; we deserved our victory in this Côte d’Azur Derby. Congratulations to my players! I also think our performance in the second half was very accomplished, and we were on top. I also want to salute Mika, who, after missing his penalty, scored a fantastic goal. It’s a very important victory.”

After this important victory, President Dmitry Rybolovlev congratulated the players in the locker room, under the watchful eyes of Stéphane Morandi, a member of the Club’s Board of Directors, and Thiago Scuro.

Key Stats

By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (2.45 to 0.51), total shots (17 to 9), shots on target (6 to 4), shots inside the box (14 to 5), big chances created (5 to 0), passes in the opposition half (204 to 89) and touches in the opposition box (42 to 14) illustrated they were deserved victors.

© AS Monaco

Up Next

Monaco will now be doing all they can to carry the momentum gained from this memorable triumph into their upcoming road clash with Brest next weekend, as they look to consolidate their second spot on the table.