Three takeaways from AS Monaco’s loss vs. OGC Nice
For the second Ligue 1 match in a row, AS Monaco left themselves short-handed, as this was a key catalyst towards them losing the derby to OGC Nice.
Having dominated the opening stanza, defended soundly and controlled proceedings nicely, Vanderson’s red card near the stroke of half-time was a real game-changer and proved crucial in Les Monegasques suffering their first defeat of the season.
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With this in mind, this gives us the opportunity to focus on three takeaways from this encounter.
Red card proves costly again
The major talking point from this fiercely-contested clash was Vanderson’s red card that occurred just prior to the interval.
Handed a contentious second yellow for pushing Mohamed-Ali Cho, this decision was a pivotal determining factor in the outcome.
Coming at a terrible time, like Jordan Teze’s sending off last week, with ASM in control, this moment massively altered the complexion of the match.
A frustrated and disappointed Adi Hutter shared his thoughts on this in his post-match press conference. “I’m not happy with the result obviously. When you lose the derby, everyone feels sad, that’s for sure. But we are guilty of this defeat, because we had the game in our hands. We did two stupid things that took us out of the game, and in the second half, with a numerical inferiority, Nice took advantage to take the lead,” he reflected.
“We get too many red cards, that’s for sure! What I see is that we were clearly the best team on the pitch eleven against eleven in the first half. We had two or three clear situations, without managing to score. Then we made a stupid foul, which led to the free kick for the goal. Then Vanderson receives a red card after a disproportionate reaction. We are very disappointed for our supporters, who were still numerous this evening to support us. I am just surprised that the rules change sometimes, we do not always know if there is handball or not, and on the action at the start of the match, it is a penalty for me. Despite everything, we must respect these decisions.”
Thilo Kehrer then weighed in on the hot topic, stating: “Vanderson gets a second yellow card even though he doesn’t do much in this situation. He defends himself because he wants to play quickly, but the Nice player blocks the ball and provokes him. Everyone then gets involved. It’s not a good image to show, but it wasn’t necessary to give Vandi a yellow card, in my opinion.”
Dropping points and putting themselves in a tough position for the second consecutive Ligue 1 encounter, addressing their sloppy recent disciplinary record will be on the agenda this week ahead of their next match vs. Angers.
Majecki stands tall
Producing some hugely important saves and fulfilling his roles and responsibilities with clarity and conviction, the accomplished display of Radoslaw Majecki was a real highlight for Les Rouge et Blanc.
Rising to the occasion to produce some brilliant saves to deny Jeremie Boga twice in the opening half, this set the tone for his tidy exertions that followed.
Further valuable stops from Evann Guessand, Boga and Hicham Boudaoui came in the second period, on a night where he hardly put a foot wrong and wasn’t at fault for any of Nice’s goals.
Rightfully getting praise from Hutter afterwards and gaining momentum and confidence with every passing week since returning from injury a little over a week ago, he continues to underline why he’s Hutter’s first-choice between the posts at present.
Embolo leads the line impressively
Breel Embolo led the line with aplomb for Monaco when they had 11 and 10 players, as he yet again illustrated why he’s such an integral component of Hutter’s ASM.
Proving a constant thorn in the side of the Nice backline, the physical and athletic striker impressively imposed himself on his adversaries.
Holding his own with his aerial prowess, excellent hold up play with his back to goal and smart movement in behind and when dropping deep, the multifaceted Embolo was a tremendous driving force.
Giving his team a vital outlet and reference point, especially when they went down a man, it was fitting he marked his strong body of work with a classy goal, which notably included a masterful run in behind.
By the numbers, his four touches inside the box, four won ground duels, three won aerial duels, two shots and one chance created illustrated his polished night at the office.
Determined, never giving up the fight and putting in an admirable defensive shift as well, there was no doubting he was ASM’s best afield in this one despite the result.