Lamine Camara netted a dramatic late winner against Montpellier (2-1) to ensure that AS Monaco celebrated their centenary in style at the Stade Louis II on Saturday.
“We are working hard not to distract ourselves from the sporting project,” Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro told Monaco Life ahead of the centenary celebrations.
From club legends, including the likes of Arsène Wenger, Claude Puel, Gérard Banide, Ludovic Giuly, and Leonardo Jardim doing a pre-match lap of honour at the Stade Louis II, to the match ball being delivered by parachutists, there were plenty of distractions. But Adi Hütter’s side did not seem perturbed by the spectacle and quickly went to work on breaking down the Montpellier defence.
Folarin Balogun, buoyed by his goal last week, had the tools to unlock MHSC, finding Breel Embolo, who blazed over from a glorious position. The Swiss international had another great chance minutes later but this time it was Dimitry Bertaud standing in his way.
Montpellier rain on Monaco’s parade
Embolo’s current lack of confidence showed and it was punished shortly after by Montpellier, who sprung the trap with a rapid transition, finished by Rabby Nzingoula. Montpellier had come to spoil the party, and that was exactly what they were doing.
It could have got even worse just seconds later with Mohammed Salisu forced into a goal-line clearance from Fayad Khalil. However, Les Monégasques would draw level before the break and it would be Balogun who would get it. After getting the monkey off his back last week, netting his first goal at the Stade Louis II in a year, he then got his second in the space of six days, latching onto Embolo’s through ball.
With the game seemingly drifting towards a draw, and in-front of the likes of Wenger and Jardim, managers tha have made history with AS Monaco, Hütter showed why he has the best win pecentage of any of the club’s managers in the 21st century.
“What I don’t like is to do nothing. The important thing was asking what can I change, how can I influence the game,” said Hütter post-match.
History-maker Hütter makes the difference
The Austrian admitted that he took a “risk” in going so attacking, ending the game with three strikers, a No.10 and two attack-minded full-backs. However, like so many of Hütter’s tactcial choices, it paid off… eventually.
Monaco knocked on the door throughout the half but they struggled to beat the impassible Bertaud in the Montpellier goal. However, having huffed and puffed, they knocked the door down with the final kick of the game through substitute Lamine Camara.
A mighty roar, worthy of the grand occasion erupted inside the Stade Louis II. Having secured the three points that takes them back joint-top of Ligue 1, the celebrations, in the presence of Prince Albert II and Dmitry Rybolovlev, continued long into the evening with a fireworks show, commemorating 100 years of the club’s existence.
“To celebrate this century game with a victory, we gave a gift,” said Hütter. That gift, handed to AS Moanco fans across the world, as well as the 13,ooo plus inside the Stade Louis II, will be remembered for a long time. In front of some of the personalities that have shaped the Principality club, the current crop wrote another memorable chapter on Saturday night.
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Photo source: AS Monaco