Competitors fell by the wayside on a dream night in the Principality as AS Monaco secured qualification for next season’s Champions League with a win over Lyon (2-0).

This was never supposed to be the night in which Monaco’s fate was decided. For Lyon, it was billed as all-or-nothing. Amid their mounting financial issues, victory was essential to keep them in the Champions League race and, by extension, keep them afloat financially. The pressure was on them and it showed in the reception that their owner, John Textor, received from the travelling Lyon fans. The American was booed pre-match and was on the receiving end of an unflattering banner at kick-off.

That is not to say that the pressure was off Monaco; a defeat at the hands of a direct rival would have proven a substantial blow. With Lille, Nice, Strasbourg, and Lyon all waiting in the wings, the margin for error in this run-in has been minimal. Luckily, Adi Hütter’s side have been nearly faultless in this final sprint, conceding just one loss in their last eight.

In front of a packed Stade Louis II, it was OL, the more desperate of the two sides, who seized the upper hand in the first half. Philipp Köhn once again vindicated Hütter’s decision to reinstate him, pulling off exceptional saves from Alexandre Lacazette and then Malick Fofana later in the half.

Zakaria with a symbolic goal for Moanco

Les Monégasques had their chances but were largely subdued. Takumi Minamino forced Lucas Perri into a good save from close range with neither side doing enough to take an advantage at the break.

This is a game that would be decided on what managers like to call “details”, often synonymous with errors, and Nemanja Matić’s error just after the hour mark proved a game-defining one. His nonchalont free-kick was pounced on by Maghnes Akliouche. He found Minamino, who was inexplicably allowed to advance into the Lyon box unchallenged before finishing past Perri.

Zakaria then doubled Monaco’s advantage just minutes later, heading home a free-kick from man-of-the-match Lamine Camara. It was fitting that Hütter’s most trusted figure, the man who wears the armband, got the goal that secured their return to the upper echelon of European competition. “I trained him when he was 18 and then at Borussia Mönchengladbach. The feeling is that he is my boy, a bit. His goal decided the game,” said Hütter.

“It is a big party” – Hütter

Monaco were doing all they could and elsehwere, results were going their way. Nice were trailing at Rennes, Strasbourg were trailing at Angers, and Lille were trailing at Brest. “All of the results going for us was a bit strange,” admitted Hütter post-match.

In the dugout, players and technical staff were aware of the stars aligning elsewhere and it showed as full-time approached in their eagerness to get on the pitch and celebrate the achievement.

“This season, the achievement is bigger than last season, that is my opinion,” said an elated Hütter after dragging himself away from jubilant scenes in the dressing room to undertake his media duties. “It is a big party. Everyone is very happy, and I am very proud.”

Hütter commits future to Monaco

Despite a gruelling Champions League campaign, with 11 more matches than last season, Monaco have once again reached their objective in their centenary year, and ahead of time too, with one game to spare. “It was a demanding season with some waves, but in the crunch time, we were there,” added Hütter.

Hütter has accorded his side three days off and there will be an end-of-term feel to their Ligue 1 finale against Lens next weekend. It will be a game without consequence and Monaco now go into the summer with assurances: Hütter has said he will remain, some of the more coveted assets (Akliouche, most notably) will likely leave and there will be a regeneration of the squad. Convincing players to join the project shouldn’t be too difficult. With Champions League football guaranteed, Monaco will once again be a particularly popular destination this summer.

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