Monaco United Women pulled off a notable upset on Sunday, winning against FC Rousset to reach the Mediterranean Cup semi finals, despite competing two divisions below their opponents. 

The team kept a clean sheet for 90 minutes before edging through penalties, with goalkeeper Pauline Moitrel delivering an outstanding performance by producing two crucial stops as all Monaco United’s penalties found the net.

Playing away against a Division 3 side, Monaco United created several clear chances in the first half but were repeatedly denied by the Rousset goalkeeper.

“I think given the chances we created and how we controlled the match, we fully deserved this victory,” said coach Marco Simone. “But football is like that — when you don’t take your chances, matches inevitably become more complicated.”

Penalties settled the match

When it came to penalties, Monaco United were composed throughout. Moitrel’s two saves proved decisive, and the result reflected what was a disciplined collective display against a considerably more experienced opponent.

Jade Prault, one of the key performers of the game, reflected on the achievement: “What a pleasure it is to win a match like this against teams that are stronger on paper,” she said. “In the first half we had several chances that unfortunately we didn’t manage to convert, but we stayed solid defensively all the way through, the penalties were taken brilliantly by each of the girls, and Pauline made the saves we needed. It’s fantastic to come away with a result like this.”

Monaco United will now host Division 4 side Hyères in the semi-finals on 5th April. But first, they travel to Mougins next Sunday in a league fixture, where victory would keep them top of the table.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo credit: Monaco United