Ligue 1: AS Monaco held by Nice in suspenseful derby

Four days after their dramatic clash against Manchester City in the Champions League, AS Monaco were once again involved in a tense fixture, this time vs OGC Nice in the derby, where, after having been down by two goals, they came back to draw 2-2.

In front of 8,500 spectators and under the eyes of Prince Albert II and President Dmitry Rybolovlev, Adi Hütter’s men can thank Ansu Fati – scorer of another brace – for being the saviour, just as he was two weeks ago against newly promoted Metz (5–2).

Diop stamps his mark

The Austrian coach returned to a more familiar 4-4-2 tactical setup, with Fati notably starting. However, it was the visitors, boycotted by their ultras, who played the spoilsport through Sofiane Diop, a former Rouge et Blanc. 

The first major events arose when a goal was disallowed by VAR for an offside by Antoine Mendy before Diop found the back of the net to propel Nice into the lead (29′). Diop then completed his double from the penalty spot after another VAR review following a harsh call on Krépin Diatta for a rather dubious handball (42′).

VAR restarts everything

This break came as Franck Haise’s outfit were playing with a numerical supremacy after Ali Abdi received a second warning for a foul on Mika Biereth (34′). This advantage was quickly reduced after another intervention by video assistance for a handball by Mendy. Fati, starting for the first time this season in Ligue 1, did not hesitate and duly scored his fifth goal of the campaign (45′ +5).

At the restart, Hütter decided to bring on Folarin Balogun. The striker would allow his colleagues to benefit from a second spot-kick after a foul by Moise Bombito, who suffered a possible fracture of the tibia and fibula in his left leg.

Fati decisive again

Once again, the FC Barcelona recruit rose to the occasion and banked his fifth goal in three league games (56′) and sixth in all competitions, as he was applauded by his teammates Paul Pogba and Denis Zakaria in the stands. The number 31 is now tied with Strasbourg’s Joaquín Panichelli at the top of the Ligue 1 scorers’ charts.

Twenty minutes from time, with the introduction of Stanis Idumbo and George Ilenikhena, Monaco ramped up their search for a winner. The opportunity to return to winning ways after the defeat at Lorient last weekend did not materialise, though, and ASM will have some regrets given they had an extra man for around an hour.

Hütter’s debrief

After the encounter, the ASM’s Austrian coach did not hide his disappointment. “We obviously wanted to win, and the team tried to score a third goal until the end. We tried to create danger with crosses and by playing quickly, but Nice knew how to defend well – we must congratulate them for that. We had control of the match, but we did not find the right situation to make the difference. So I am obviously not 100% satisfied with this draw because we wanted to win,” he reflected.

International break

Now it’s time for the international break. The next match for AS Monaco, who have 13 points in the standings after seven matches, will be a trip to Angers on Saturday, October 18 (7 p.m.), before hosting Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League the following Wednesday (9 p.m.).