TOPS/FLOPS – Monaco had fun before facing FC Barcelona in the Champions League this Thursday. Auxerre was unable to thwart the Monegasque collective.
TOPS
Zakaria the handyman
ASM captain Denis Zakaria once again showed his talent. A true leader of the team, the metronome of the Rocher club perfectly directed the game and his partners while regularly intervening in defense. The cherry on the cake was that he delivered a superb assist to his partner Vanderson who scored the 2-0 goal. As if that wasn’t enough, the former Chelsea player scored the last goal of the match (89′), his second of the season. His presence against FC Barcelona on Thursday will be essential if Monaco wants to create the feat.
Decisive rears
Three goals, including two from defenders. When the centre forwards are not celebrating, the backs take over. First Kehrer with a superb header (8′) from a corner, then Vanderson who finished like a striker (25′). And when they don’t score, they are still involved… on the third goal the corner is well taken by Caio Henrique for a header from Kehrer which allows Zakaria to finish. Decisive up front and behind, at the end of the match, the German international allows his club to achieve a third clean sheet in four matches.
Monaco is a pleasure
As has been the case since the beginning of the season, Monaco is producing some great football. Dominant in all areas of the game, Adi Hütter’s team quickly got to safety to manage the match. Carried by the passion of its nuggets Maghnes Akliouche and Ben Seghir, the technical quality of the club from the principality has everything of a team ready for the Champions League, now all that remains is the finishing touch.
FLOPS
Embolo is still not there
This is one of the images of this match, in the 64th minute the angry outburst of the Monaco centre forward at the moment of his exit. And for good reason, Breel Embolo who was coming out of a complicated international break with Switzerland did not reassure himself at all against AJA. The one who is supposed to make us forget Ben Yedder has still not scored a goal this season. Willful and often well placed however, nothing goes his way. Even when his partners find him (63′), the former M’gladbach player loses his one-on-one or is too short (61′).
Leon is getting a hole
Donovan Léon did not exude serenity. Although solid in the second half, the AJA goalkeeper was at fault for the first Monaco goal with a nice handball. Like two years ago, the Nicaraguan international seems too weak for Ligue 1 with already 9 goals conceded in four matches. As a reminder, during AJA’s last campaign in Ligue 1 he was quickly sidelined in favor of Benoit Costil and then Ionut Radu in the second half of the season.
Auxerre and the boxes a business that works
Warned, prepared and yet Christophe Pelissier’s instructions were not respected. Over the first three days, Auxerre has already received two disabling reds (against Le Havre and Auxerre). Against Monaco, Gabriel Osho (14′) and Elisha Owusu (43′) came close to being sent off. Uncontrolled interventions that almost resulted in a red.
