Following their elimination from the Coupe de France in midweek, AS Monaco’s struggles continued as they were held by OGC Nice in the Côte d’Azur derby on Sunday (0-0).
This was a derby that had somewhat lost its sheen. When Claude Puel, sat on the Nice bench, but who once sat on the Monaco bench, states his love for both clubs pre-match, there is perhaps a spike missing, an acrimony absent. But it is also the stakes that have taken the gloss off the luxurious Côte d’Azur tie. Last year, these times were third and fourth in the league; Monaco and Nice sat 10th and 13th, respectively, on Sunday. Whilst the former continue to look up the table, the latter have conceded that they are in a relegation battle – not quite the European shootout of yesteryear.
And despite that, there was a spark in the opening minutes. Folarin Balogun hit the bar having been put through by Lamine Camara in the third minute and then one minute later, Nice thought they had been awarded a penalty, only for Thilo Kehrer’s adjudged handball to be overturned on review. It was a spark that quickly faded and an afternoon that – for both sides – resembled that of many others this season, frustrating, uninspiring, unenthusing.
Monaco their own worst enemy
Philipp Kohn and Sébastien Pocognoli both pointed out the positive post-match, the clean sheet, with the latter also praising Monaco’s “mindset and fight” in the derby, but there were few other positives. Regardless, it was Monaco who had much the better chances. Beyond Balogun’s sight of goal, the best for either team on the day, there were moments when Maxime Dupé was called into action.
Unfortunately, as far as Monaco were concerned, the Nice goalkeeper was up to the task when called upon, making a save with his feet from Balogun later in the first half and then pushing a well-struck Aleksandr Golovin volley clear of danger upon the return from the dressing room.
Monaco were never tested, apart from when they put themselves in danger. Nice needed an opening and Kohn obliged. It was his rushed and rash clearance that fell straight to the grateful feet of former Monégasque Sofiane Diop, the scorer of a brace in the return fixture. Luckily, Kehrer was there to spare Kohn’s blushes, pulling off a goalline clearance. It was clearing their lines – or failing to do so – that offered Nice their other big chance of the second half, as Elye Wahi latched onto a loose ball, swivelled and got a shot away on the Monaco goal, but straight into the hands of Kohn.
‘We created chances when we were a bit braver’ – Pocognoli
Geographically, this is the closest rivalry in Ligue 1, and nothing has separated these sides this season. The return fixture also ended in a draw (2-2), and once again, there was nothing that separated them. Both managers believed that their side did enough to take all three points, but neither did, the game ending as a draw “logically”, in the words of Pocognoli.
One point gained or two points lost? “For the standing, it is not good, because we could have benefitted from results [elsewhere] that went in our favour this weekend,” reacted Pocognoli, referencing Lille’s dropped points in Metz and Rennes’ loss at Lens. “We had chances, and in these matches, you have to take them. We created these chances when we were a bit braver on the ball, when we played forward and made the right decisions, with the attacking quality that we have.”
But there is a worrying trend, beyond the one that is reflected in the table, which sees them distanced (still) from the fight for European football. That was the fourth away game in the league that Monaco have failed to score. The last time they were on such a poor run of form in front of goal away from home was back in 2010. Whilst the Principality club can lean on their re-found defensive solidity as a positive, it will ultimately mean nothing unless they are more clinical at the other end.
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Photo source: AS Monaco
