AS Monaco hosted Amiens SC at Stade Louis II this weekend as part of the 37th day of Ligue 1 football. The Principality’s club won the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Radamel Falcao and Aleksandr Golovin. The victory allowed the embattled Monegasques to move up to16th place and take the lead in the race against relegation.
Winless in their previous five games, the Monegasque side finally returned to winning ways on Saturday against Amiens, the penultimate day of 2018-19 L1 play. Far from simple, this win is above all a real relief for Monegasque players and supporters, as the team has flirted with relegation for a few months now. By winning 2-0 against a direct opponent at the bottom of the table, AS Monaco takes three ranking points ahead of Caen, climbing to 16th place.
Although feverish at times, Monegasques will have fulfilled their mission. Captain Radamel Falcao offered his team the lead in the first half by scoring the match’s first goal – his fifteenth of the season – in the 26th minute.
Determined to maintain the advantage, the Monegasques, defensive, resisted multiple attacks in the second half. They were delivered late in the game thanks to the saving goal from Aleksandr Golovin, which sealed the fate of the game. Final score: 2-0 for AS Monaco.
Leading the race against relegation
Three points and seven goals in goal-average ahead of Caen, the Principality’s club is, for now, almost saved. The Jardim’s men will be able to breathe more serenely at the end of this season, exempt from the obligation of victory against neighbors and rivals Nice. In particular, thanks to the defeats of Caen in Lyon, and Dijon in Paris.
Unless the team suffers a terrible defeat against OGC Nice, and Caen secures a big win against Bordeaux, AS Monaco should avoid relegation and return to Ligue 1 play next season.
Next match: OGC Nice – AS Monaco, Friday, May 24th at 9:05 pm, at the Allianz Riviera.
*Article originally published on the French edition of the Monaco Tribune.