AS Monaco comfortably progressed into the Round of 32 of the Coupe de France with a 2-0 victory over Red Star.
The Match
A brilliant brace from Wissam Ben Yedder guaranteed Monaco secured the win away from home, in a match where they were in control and importantly kept a clean sheet.
Picking a strong team for this clash while giving some key minutes to the likes of Radoslaw Majecki, Ismail Jakobs, Eliot Matazo and Myron Boadu, Niko Kovac got his selection spot on.
Kovac’s debrief
Delighted with the result and the attitude of his players, Kovac cut a content figure in his post match comments, stating: “First of all, I want to say bravo to both teams, because it was a good match, in the spirit of the Coupe de France.”
“Red Star played very well, but my players were very serious. This is the attitude you have to show against a third division team if you want to avoid the misstep. I would say we showed 90 minutes of good quality, with a lot of focus and creativity.
“We created a lot of opportunities for ourselves, and the score could have been even higher. But on arrival I am satisfied with this performance, and I also want to congratulate the fans of both camps for their support.”
Ben Yedder Masterclass
Ben Yedder celebrated his 100th game for the club by scoring a double and putting in an all-round classy showing. Leading the line with aplomb, the experienced striker was a nightmare for Red Star to contain, with his goals bringing his total to 11 for the season.
Indeed, his five shots, three chances created, two accurate long balls and two dribbles further underlined his polished body of work.
Big game to end 2021
Up next for Les Monegasques is a massive clash with third placed Rennes in Ligue 1. Considering Monaco are currently five points behind them in the table, a win is a must if they’re to close the gap and get back in contention for a Champions League qualification berth.