AS Monaco relinquished their second place standing in Ligue 1 to Sunday’s opponent, Marseille, after a late defeat at the Vélodrome (2-1).
“We deserved at least a draw,” said Adi Hütter after Monaco’s Champions League defeat to Benfica on Wednesday (2-3). His analysis for the defeat to OM was a copy-paste job.
“We didn’t deserve this defeat. When I see the entire game, we deserved a point minimum. I didn’t see OM as the better team. If we are lucky, we could have won this match […] it is hard to accept this defeat,” said Hütter as Mason Greenwood’s late winner inflicted Monaco’s defeat in the space of just five days.
It had started well for Monaco. Dismissing any notion that his side would follow the blueprint for success at the Vélodrome, set by Angers and more recently Auxerre, which consists of sitting deep and hitting in transition, Monaco pushed high and were proactive in trying to influence proceedings.
“The Volcano” erupts as OM react
In a game of few chances, the Principality club had two big ones before half-time, one of which was taken with aplomb by Aleksandr Golovin at the back post, That came from Monaco leaping on a Valentin Rongier error before moving the ball swiftly and vertically to find Golovin unmarked at the back post.
But those moments were too few and far between, even if Marseille struggled to create problems of their own. Having only won once at the Vélodrome all season, the fans were on the backs of the OM players at half-time, letting them know what they thought of a timid first-half display.
But the Vélodrome, colloquially known as “The Volcano” did erupt just after the break as a re-enthused Marseille took control of the game. Once again, it was an error that created the goal with Mohammed Salisu misreading the trajectory of the ball. He headed it straight to Neal Maupay, who in turn found Luis Henrique just yards out and with an open goal. It was an unmissable chance and miss it he did not.
Buoyed by their revival, Monaco had to weather a storm that did not yield any high-quality chances, despite the intense pressure and the intensity of Marseille press.
Monaco were attentive to opportunities to punish OM without ever forcing the issue, with Takumi Minamino notably finding the side-netting, but the game looked to be heading towards a draw – a result that, within the context of the match, would have suited both parties.
Marseille end dour home run with late goal
But there would be a late twist in the tale. Christian Mawissa was punished for a hand-ball inside his box with Mason Greenwood stepping up to dispatch past Radoslaw Majecki.
The late winner inflicts a cruel second defeat of the week for Monaco, which also sees Marseille leapfrog them into second place in Ligue 1, albeit only on goal difference.
“We cannot be happy with the result but we can be satisfied with the performance,” said Hütter. Bar the match against Angers, that applies to all of Monaco’s matches this season, even if the rewards for those performances have not been forthcoming.
Monaco part of a break-away group?
Hütter says that Monaco have to focus on “chasing [their] goals” and whilst he insists that, after just 13 matchdays, he is not looking at the table, it is clear that a top three is emerging; Lille, inconsistent and struggling to juggle European and domestic football, are now in fourth and three points adrift of the podium.
Monaco may find themselves at the back of that break-away pack, but their performance at the Vélodrome, described as the toughest away atmosphere in Ligue 1, suggests that they may not still be there come the end of the season, and given PSG’s dropped points this week, there is perhaps a fallibility that can yet be exploited. It is a cruel defeat for Monaco but certainly not one that will see the club’s ambitious objectives re-evaluated.
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Photo source: AS Monaco