Ligue 1: AS Monaco remains second despite draw against Le Havre
Malgré les deux points perdus ce soir, l'AS Monaco retrouve la 2e place à égalité avec l'OM, qui eux affrontent Brest demain © AS Monaco
In a situation where every point counts in their quest for Champions League qualification, AS Monaco were frustratingly forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Le Havre.
Although they controlled the game, Adi Hutter’s men were surprised when Le Havre shot ahead before Les Monegasques equalised thanks to the inevitable Mika Biereth.
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The Match
Opting for two changes to his team for this tough road contest, Hutter brought in Thilo Kehrer to start in defence alongside Wilfried Singo Eliesse and Eliesse Ben Seghir to operate on the left wing.
The match began to the passionate cheers of more than 600 Monaco supporters, who travelled with an impressive tifo. This terrific support seemed to galvanise the Red and Whites, who quickly took control of the match.
Almost taking the lead via Vanderson in just the third minute following some handy work by Breel Embolo, this saw ASM open proceedings with plenty of attacking intent.
The same duo combined again 15 minutes later, with the Swiss international coming close with a header.
Having failed to convert their opportunities, Le Havre punished Monaco in the 22nd minute when Koka propelled his team into the lead.
Responding swiftly, it was admirable how ASM closed the half strongly, as Maghnes Akliouche and Denis Zakaria fired off promising attempts.
Introducing Takumi Minamino and Moatasem Al-Musrati at the interval to give them some additional intensity and energy, this move by Hutter almost instantly paid off, for ASM began the second stanza solidly.
While Zakaria and Minamino enjoyed decent yet unsuccessful efforts, it was the masterful Biereth who levelled the ledger for Monaco just past the hour mark.
Showcasing his poaching instincts and clinical finishing emphatically, the Danish international was on hand to prod home Vanderson’s blast that Mathieu Gorgelin parried into his path.
“Mika Biereth has scored 13 goals for AS Monaco in Ligue 1 in 2025. No other player has scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues since the start of the year,” the club said in its press release.
Eager to push on and clinch a coveted victory, the dangerous Biereth wasn’t far off with another notable strike, but Gorgelin smartly denied the star forward.
Philipp Kohn then stood up when his side needed him to keep out Andre Ayew’s shot to once more vindicate Hutter’s decision to give him the nod between the posts.
Even though both teams produced some reasonable chances in the final stages, this one ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw.
Hutter’s Debrief
“We’re not happy with the first half and obviously with the final result. In the second half, we saw a more powerful Monaco, but we weren’t able to secure the three points. I also want to congratulate Le Havre for their defensive performance. The top of the table is very tight, but our destiny is still in our own hands. We’ll have to do better now, starting next week in Saint-Etienne,” explained the Austrian tactician.
“It happens in football that big teams struggle against weaker teams. In the first half, our game wasn’t fast enough, and they managed to close down the middle well. We managed to turn things around after the break and were mentally better, but we ended up leaving with a draw.”
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (2.93 to 0.51), total shots (19 to 9), shots on target (7 to 3), shots inside the box (14 to 4), big chances created (4 to 1), touches inside the opposition box (35 to 16), and passes in the opposition half (280 to 113) further demonstrated they were the superior outfit.
Race Rolls On
The club from the Rock will need to rapidly regroup for their next trip to Saint-Etienne next Saturday, where they will attempt to return to winning ways away from home, which has certainly been easier said than done recently.
“The statistics away from the Principality are not good. Last season, we had more difficulty performing at home, which is no longer the case. We were not at the right level mentally today. We managed to be dangerous in the first 20 minutes, but we finally conceded the first goal. Le Havre then defended very well, and we must now focus on the duel against Saint-Etienne,” Hutter stated.