AS Monaco registered their seventh consecutive victory in Ligue 1 on Sunday, but some wins are more important than others, and in that run, none were as important as this one over Olympique de Marseille (2-1).
SĂ©bastien Pocognoli said that the match against Marseille was “important but not decisive” on Friday, but this felt like a game where more than points were on the line. Momentum and the chance to land a psychological blow were also at stake at the Stade Louis II. It was a big occasion, but one without the atmosphere to match. OM’s fans are renowned for the atmosphere that they bring both at the VĂ©lodrome and at stadia across France, but they remained silent for the first 30 minutes. It was a strange atmosphere, and it translated on the pitch.
Both sides were disjointed, a little flat, lacking in ideas and rhythm. There were half-chances for Maghnes Akliouche, who missed the target with an acrobatic effort and then forced a save from Geronimo Rulli when put through by Jordan Teze. But there were no periods of sustained pressure, and in what was an end-to-end half, a “ping-pong” game in the words of Habib Beye, OM had chances of their own. Lukas Hradecky was up to the task on both occasions, denying Hamed TraorĂ© and Igor Paixao from tight angles.
Hradecky the difference-maker for Monaco
No changes at the break meant no real change in the dynamic of a match that didn’t lean one way more than the other until Aleksandr Golovin broke the deadlock on the hour mark, volleying home a tantalising Jordan Teze cross. The intensity so sorely lacking finally arrived: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg forced a strong save, TraorĂ© missed a free header, and Quinten Timber drew a Hollywood diving save from Hradecky. If the Finland international was impassible, Rulli was permeable; two shots on target, three goals for Monaco.
In the Argentine’s defence, there was little he could have done with Folarin Balogun’s effort. The in-form forward profited from a miscued ball from Hojbjerg, did CJ Egan-Riley for pace, and then placed a delightful chip into Rulli’s top corner. In a match that lacked a bit of quality, his effort was fair compensation. “It was one of the best goals [I’ve ever scored],” admitted the Monaco forward. “The importance of the goal makes it special,” he added.
As it transpired, Monaco’s second would prove crucial when Amine Gouiri wiggled his way through Denis Zakaria and Thilo Kehrer, poking past Hradecky and shattering Monaco’s composure. What followed was 10 frantic minutes, with chances for both sides. Hradecky forced an Emerson header over the bar, and from the following corner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang improvised a poorly hit effort at the back post. Hradecky was out of the picture, but Teze was there to tidy up and clear off the line.
Pocognoli banned from the touchline
Monaco had their chances to kill it. Simon Adingra was played in and rounded Rulli, but from a tight angle, could not find the target. It was the Ivorian who was played in again in the final minutes. This time, he opted for the pass, but it was just beyond Mika Biereth, who, on the stretch, could not turn it into the empty net. Monaco held on, however.
Both Pocognoli and Balogun spoke about “staying humble” and “humility” in their post-match media duties. “We are aware that we are coming from far back […] what I like is that players are winning matches but there is no need for excessive enthusiasm. There are smiles but also a recognition of a past not so long ago that we don’t want to revisit,” added the Monaco manager. The Belgian was more powerless than usual. Suspended, he was forced to watch the game from the commentary positions. “I didn’t like it… sometimes you’re shouting up there, but it is only the commentators who can maybe hear me, but the advantage is that you get more of a global view,” said Pocognoli.
“It isn’t about shouting or having an aggressive presence,” said Pocognoli in reference to his half-time team talk. In any case, he found the right words at the midway point, and that applies to Monaco’s season more generally as the second half of it marks an increasingly radical departure from the first.
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Photo source: AS Monaco