Three takeaways from AS Monaco’s thumping triumph over Reims
AS Monaco registered a crushing 3-0 victory over Reims, with Mika Biereth’s third consecutive Ligue 1 hat-trick at home proving the difference between the two outfits.
In a match where a dominant ASM held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (4.98 to 0.88), big chances created (6 to 1), total shots (22 to 8), shots on target (9 to 5), shots inside the box (17 to 6), touches inside the box (59 to 15) and passes in the opposition half (335 to 168), this gives us the opportunity to focus on three takeaways from this encounter.
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Biereth stars again
The brilliant Biereth stole the show yet again, as his exceptional treble propelled his team to a crucial win and boosted his tally to a sublime 10 goals in seven league games since arriving at the Principality club in January.
Clinical, efficient and instinctive, all three of his goals further punctuated his finishing prowess, with his attentiveness, sharp reactions and ability to be in the right place at the right time shining brightly.
Confident, leading the line with authority and a real physical presence, Biereth’s game was about far more than just his goals, however, for his movement, link play and defensive output were all extra reasons for positivity.
Intelligently timing and angling his runs in behind, choosing wisely when to drop deep to connect attacks and interchanging crisply with his fellow attackers, this elevated his menace too.
Also energetic in his defensive exertions with his harrying and toughness in the tackle, it was little wonder Adi Hutter was full of praise for the striking sensation afterwards.
“It’s impressive (smile)! What he [Biereth] did again tonight by already reaching the 10-goal mark in Ligue 1, with a third hat-trick in a row in as many games, it’s huge! But I also want to compliment the whole team, who claimed a clean sheet tonight after a very good performance. We fully deserve this success, but what a remarkable match from Mika once again,” insisted the Austrian tactician.
“Mika is a goalscorer and a real finisher who is capable of scoring a lot and is always in the right area. He can also strike from many positions in the box. Tonight he could have even finished with four or five goals, with two or three missed opportunities! So he changes a lot of things, but also because we score more goals.”
Vital clean sheet
Having failed to keep a clean sheet in Ligue 1 since their 0-0 draw with Reims last December, and with only one shutout in 2025 – coming in their 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the Champions League – securing a clean sheet against Reims was a huge boost.
Ensuring Reims went scoreless through a combination of individual and collective hard work, being alert to danger and fulfilling their marking assignments diligently, there was much to admire about ASM’s stopping efforts.
Pressing well from the front, defending with a nice blend of brains and brawn and not giving Reims many quality chances, the fact Reims could only muster an XG of 0.88 emphasised their effectiveness.
Extra keys towards this were how they didn’t commit many errors, which have proven so costly this term, and the polished showing of Radoslaw Majecki in goal, who produced some elite stops to deny multiple shots.
“Tonight’s clean sheet is a positive sign that proves that we also need to pay attention to our defensive work to regain our solidity. So I’m satisfied with our performance, especially since it wasn’t easy in the first half because Reims were very compact in a low block. We were looking for ways to build to try to score. It was much more open in the second, where our opponent was a little better, but I really liked our first half,” Hutter explained.
Al Musrati excels
Moatasem Al-Musrati’s multifaceted performance in the heart of the pitch was another major positive for Monaco.
Excelling on both sides of the ball and underlining why ASM were so keen to bring in a player of his calibre to bolster their midfield, the Libyan international hardly put a foot wrong.
Holding his own in a defensive sense due to his tremendous reading of the play, powerful heading, assertiveness in the challenge, capacity to outmuscle opponents and outstanding ball recovery powers, this ensured he was a fine asset.
Meanwhile, much upside could be extracted from his exploits in possession as well, for he passed the ball coherently to help ASM control the game, was smartly positioned to give his team numerical and positional superiorities in build-up and provided a handy additional goal threat.
“I don’t want to compare profiles, because Lamine Camara is a young talent who had a very good start to the season and showed great things, including at Benfica, where he had a great match. Moatasem is a very different player who is obviously more experienced, very calm with the ball and who brings serenity to the game. He had a great match today by finding good solutions every time with the ball,” Hutter said in his post-match comments.
By the numbers, his seven duels won, five ball recoveries, three won aerial duels, two interceptions, two shots and 56 completed passes at 86% accentuated what a strong display he put in.
Although his ASM career got off to a rocky start when he was handed a red card vs. Benfica in his second appearance for the club, his latest body of work will do wonders for the January arrival’s confidence so he can continue to stamp his mark and showcase what a complete and classy operator he is.