Despite a good first period under control, ASM missed their chance to capitalize at Geoffroy-Guichard stadium. This loss (0-1) leaves a bitter taste in view of the number of opportunities missed, though also logical compared to the poor second half of the teammates of Wissam Ben Yedder. This morning, the ASM is in the 15th position at 4 points from the podium.
What was the turning point of this match? The lack of realism of the first period or the action of Augustin leading to Fofana’s red card, which was taken back for a not very obvious offside decided by the VAR? A bit of both, surely – all leading to a break from Monaco’s win streak. But Leonardo Jardim also found that his team stopped playing, or almost, upon return from the locker room. Dominated by Greens from the 46th minute onward, ASM players suffered a lot in the midfield, undermined by the absences of Bakayoko and Fabregas. Over the minutes, Henrichs and Adrien Silva lost control of the ball, which resulted in a goal from Bouanga (59th minute).
Aguilar ousted
Monaco deserved better in the first period. With a mobile Ben Yedder and general control of the ball, the team could have opened the score on center deviated by Gelson Martins (35th minute) or on Ben Yedder’s shot just before the break. The end of the match was cruel. The team pushed late in the game but Saint-Etienne held on. Just coming in, Ruben Aguilar was sent off. An unfortunate gesture that Jardim did not appreciate …
This defeat marks the end of a good series of three wins for the ASM which will quickly rebound against Dijon, next Saturday, Louis II (20h).
Article originally published in the French edition of the Monaco Tribune.