AS Monaco took a big step towards qualification for the next stage of the Conference League thanks to a comfortable win over Nordsjælland (2-0) at a sodden Stade Louis II on Thursday night.
It is three wins from three for Les Monégasques in European competition. Midway through the ‘League Phase’, Monaco are one of four teams with a 100% record, and these midweek encounters are providing a welcome solace from their domestic struggles.
Monaco made five changes to the side that lost to Paris FC (3-1) over the weekend. Rotation is an explanation, as is Filipe Luís’ wish to make a statement. The Brazilian wasn’t happy with his side’s performance in the Capital, even if he assumed his share of responsibility. On Wednesday, the manager spoke of “correcting behaviours”.
Most of those “behaviours” pertained to what Monaco were doing off the ball. Luís wanted his side to “calm down a little bit”, know when to stand off and when to press. A clean sheet against Nordsjælland was welcome in that regard. But as the intermittent jeers suggested, this wasn’t a game where Monaco were at their free-flowing best.
“I liked the patience [from my team], but I don’t like a horizontal game,” said Luís post-match. That’s what the Monaco fans who braved the weather witnessed for much of the first half in particular. On Sunday, Luís was perhaps taken by surprise by Paris FC’s decision to go with a back three; Nordsjælland certainly surprised him with how deep they sat. Jens Olsen assumed his choice, which went against their usual instincts.
Nordsjælland’s game plan to frustrate Monaco
“I think that we kept the game open until the end. That was the plan for us,” said Olsen. “As we opened up in the last 20 minutes, we saw how good Monaco really are.” It was during these final stages that Nordsjælland pushed to continue their unbeaten start to the Conference League campaign, but in vain.
The Danish side couldn’t fashion a clear opening and test Lukas Hradecky, but their attempts did at least give room for Monaco’s attackers to express themselves. Takumi Minamino, playing his first full 90 minutes since his return from an ACL injury, tested Andreas Hansen with a sweetly-struck volley. Matthis Abline then forced another diving save from the Nordsjælland goalkeeper with his effort from the edge of the box that was angling towards the bottom corner.
Abline did get his goal, latching onto a clearance/ pass from Detourbet, himself completing his first 90 minutes of the season, bursting into the box and finishing low past the outstretched limbs of Hansen. It was a just reward for Luís’ side. His side found the back of the net twice within the space of two minutes upon the return from the dressing room.
Paris Brunner was the first to find the back of the net; Minamino then did the same with a flicked header from a Detourbet cross, but both were ruled out for offside. The second call was much closer than the first.
Folarin Balogun, starting for the first time this season, also went close, flicking a Vanderson header goalwards and drawing a fingertip save from Hansen. The former Arsenal forward, called up to Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT side, should have done better with the close-range rebound that he blazed over.
Detourbet offers a glimpse at his potential
It was a marked improvement on a first half that drew audible groans from the Monaco crowd, for the same reasons that elicited Luís’ frustration. There was only one chance, but it was duly converted. It was Jordan Teze with the vision and deftness to play in Minamino, whose swipe towards goal was tapped in by Detourbet at the back post.
It was the Frenchman’s first goal since joining from Manchester City. He admitted post-match that this was his best performance in a Monaco shirt. “I think he is a player that has this one-v-one [quality] that I like a lot. I like players who go forward, who dribble. He has that potential,” analysed Luís post-match.
“Since the beginning, he has been struggling with numbers: no goals, no assists. We are working on that with him. He has to be more decisive, to think about stepping into the box. He is improving at that. Today, the prize was there for him. If you don’t go in the box, you don’t score goals. For me, it was important that he scored,” he added.
It is a goal and an assist that will do a world of good for Detourbet’s confidence. The win will have a similar effect on the Monaco team, Luís believes: “This win today is very important for the team, for the confidence of the team.” The Principality club will look to take that confidence into the final game before the international break, away to Le Mans, as they hope to put an end to a four-game winless run in Ligue 1.
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Photo source: AS Monaco