for its 100th anniversary, AS Monaco snatches victory against Montpellier

It was a very special match for Louis II this Saturday evening. For the 6th day of Ligue 1, AS Monaco faced Montpellier. A special meeting for the club from the principality which celebrated its 100th anniversary and which thus unveiled a tifo with the few loyal supporters in the stadium. For the occasion, coach Adi Hutter was banking on an offensive team with the presence of Ben Seghir, Akliouche, Golovin, Embolo and Balogun on the attacking front. Enough to try to secure the three points and string together a sixth match without defeat this season (3 wins, 2 draws). And facing a Montpellier team that had three defeats in a row, the opportunity was great to put pressure on PSG, the leader.

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But against all expectations, it was Michel Der Zakarian’s MHSC who made the best start to the match with a first opportunity after a few seconds of play. Well in place, the Montpellier team sprang forward on the counter and took advantage of the slightest error Monegasque. Salisu’s loss of the ball on a restart was then fatal to his team. On the counter-attack, it was the very young Rabby Nzingoula (18 years old), launched by Adams, who scored his very first professional goal by adjusting Kohn without trembling (1-0, 15th). A goal which woke up AS Monaco, who then pushed to try to equalize. But the clumsiness in front of the goal of Embolo then of Balogun did not help to revive. Finally, the American scorer, on a serve from the Swiss scorer, put the two teams back on level terms with a good flat foot (1-1, 32nd).

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The score will not change until half-time thanks in particular to several good saves from Dimitry Bertaud. Returning from the locker room, AS Monaco accelerated and passed the second. Montpellier gradually retreated and clearly left the lead to the Monegasques (69% ball possession). But this did not benefit Monaco who sorely lacked precision in the last gesture. The young Eliesse Ben Seghir seemed uninspired in the offensive sector just like Maghnès Akliouche who was very discreet in this meeting. And when ASM appeared dangerous, it was goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud who made impressive saves on his line like in front of Lamine Camara at the end of the match.

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Before that, Golovin alone in front of the goal had chosen to fake a shot and collapse on the return of Tchato. Not enough to obtain a penalty according to the match referee. On the Montpellier side, it was Savanier who was close to a sublime free kick in the final moments. His shot crashed into Kohn’s bar, who had remained motionless (86th). Ultimately, the two teams thought they would leave each other back to back. Except that Senegalese international Lamine Camara did not intend to spoil Monaco’s centenary celebration. In the last seconds, in the 90th + 8, after several saves from Bertaud just before, the former FC Metz sent a precise shot which hit the post and ended up in the back of the net (2-1). The deliverance for Monaco which regains the lead of the championship tied with PSG thanks to these three points. Montpellier continues its dark series in a cruel manner, but will be able to try to build on its evening performance.