AS Monaco swept aside Mediterranean rivals Marseille (3-0) to take Adi Hütter’s men up to second and bolster their Champions League ambitions.
In football terms, this was a proper six-pointer between two sides desperate to secure Champions League football for next season. It certainly showed in a cagey first half; the desire to not lose seemed to outweigh the desire to win for both sides.
OM were the more ambitious in the opening exchanges with Englishman Jonathan Rowe making some dangerous runs in behind but they couldn’t work goalkeeper Philipp Köhn, who retained the No.1 jersey despite an error-strewn display in last weekend’s defeat to Brest.
Monaco broke the monotony of a midfield chess match, low on quality, with the first goal just after the half-hour mark. It was the first real chance of the day as Mike Biereth latched onto a ball in behind, forcing Geronimo Rulli into two close-range saves. The second save rebounded to Denis Zakaria, who teed up Takumi Minamino to curl into the empty net.
Rulli keeps Marseille in the game
The Principality club were lucky to go in to half-time ahead, however. With the break approaching, Ulisses García flashed a cross to the back post, finding Luis Henrique, who with the whole goal to aim for, volleyed wide of the far post.
A switch was flicked at half-time as Monaco came out with more intensity and more ambition, looking to kill the game as a contest. It was only Rulli who denied them. Breel Embolo forced the Argentine into two strong saves but it was one from Maghnes Akliouche moments that capped a determined goalkeeping performance, despite the scoreline.
Akliouche’s close-range volley was kept out by Rulli’s strong left hand but he couldn’t deny Embolo seconds later. The Swiss international was on the limit of offside but was the right side of fine margins as he tucked home from Vanderson’s through ball.
“Miraculous” Köhn saves the day for Monaco
But Köhn was also decisive, repaying the faith paid by Hütter. Amine Gouiri came on and scored at the Stade Louis II earlier this season when he was playing for Rennes. Now at Marseille, he almost repeated the feat, drifting off the left, as he did earlier in the campaign, but this time, he could not find the finish, Köhn instead pulling off what OM manager Roberto De Zerbi described as a “miraculous” fingertip save.
Thereafter, Monaco had their opponent at arm’s-length before Rulli inadvertently hauled down Embolo in the box. Denis Zakaria stepped up and emphatically took the penalty that struck the underside of the bar on the way in. Both sides had chances to add to the scoreline but it finished 3-0 as Monaco make an important step towards Champions League qualification.
“It is a big win for us this evening. 3-0 against Marseille is a statement, even if the score was a bit flattering, in my opinion,” admitted Hütter post-match, who was full of praise for Köhn.
“The gap between the other teams is really tight” – Hütter
“He bounced back well and saved us in some dangerous situations. We talk about the one big mistake (against Brest) but he also saved us against Gouiri and and a really big second save too (against Adrien Rabiot late on). He did well and felt the support from our side,” added the Monaco manager.
Monaco are in now in second, behind crowned champions PSG, however, Hütter isn’t getting ahead of himself with just five games remaining. “The next game is against a really good team in Strasbourg. The gap between the other teams is really tight. We have to enjoy the win tonight,” he said.
The win, at home to another local rival to add to the one against OGC Nice a fortnight ago, will be savoured but big challenges await this Monaco side with the end of the season approaching.
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Photo credit: AS Monaco