AS Monaco put on attacking show against Strasbourg
In the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and the President of AS Monaco, Dmitri Rybolovlev, the Principality club won its second victory in two games, the first at home this season, which allows the Rouge et Blanc to provisionally move into first place in Ligue 1.🗓
The context 📅
Winners in their first league match agent Clermont (4-2), the AS Monaco players wanted to build on this result and obtain a second win in as many games, which would be a first since the 2017-2018 season. Their opponents, Strasbourg also arrived with confidence after also winning their Ligue 1 opener, against OL.
The eleven 👥
On the Rouge et Blanc return to Stade Louis-II, coach Adi Hütter used his familiar 3-4-2-1 with debuts for new recruits Wilfried Singo and Denis Zakaria; both started in central defense alongside Soungoutou Magassa. Aleksandr Golovin and Takumi Minamino played in support of Wissam Ben Yedder.
👥 Le 𝗫𝗜 𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲́𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 🆚 @RCSA
‣ #ASMRCSA pic.twitter.com/qm32HLkq6A
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) August 20, 2023
The scenario 🎞
At the start of the game and despite a crushing heat in Monaco, the Principality club monopolized the ball and on a long ball from Caio Henrique, Takumi Minamino was played in behind the defense but his cutback found no one (2′). Then after a good bit of play among the Japanese attacker, Wissam Ben Yedder and Aleksandr Golovin, a shot from the Tsar was just over Matz Sels’ bar (16′).
Minamino scores the first goal at home
Very involved this evening, Minamino was rewarded for his efforts a few minutes later. On a high recovery by him, he sent in a sublime shot from range, which found the top corner of the Strasbourg goal (20′). It was his second goal in the colors of AS Monaco and the first of the season at the Stade Louis-II! This deserved opener was reward for a start of the match dominated by the men of Adi Hütter.
Ready to go 🇯🇵👊#ASMRCSA pic.twitter.com/a6kGmW7Lmg
— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) August 20, 2023
Taki in Super Saiyan mode
Having gone ahead, the Monegasques did not intend to stop and they doubled the lead a quarter of an hour later. On a fine cross from newly-minted Brazilian international Caio Henrique, Taki fired in an unstoppable header from the penalty spot to give himself a double (36′). Never worried in these first 45 minutes, except on a long free kick from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde easily captured by Philipp Köhn (45 + 2′), AS Monaco logically took the lead at the break with a score of 2-0.
A knockout blow from Ben Yedder
The 15 minutes in the locker room did not dampen the enthusiasm of our players, who continued to suffocate the Alsatians. And on a cross from Vanderson, also called up with the Selecão, Wissam Ben Yedder was close to adding a third but shot just wide. It was only a postponement since three minutes later, on a counter-attack led by Minamino, Captain Wiss’ got on the end of a long ball and beat Sels from the left (58′), scoring his third goal in Ligue 1 this season!
Having come in large numbers to the Stade Louis-II on this Sunday evening in August, the supporters were impressed and wasn’t over. Found at the edge of the area by Vanderson, our number 18 fired a shot that was just wide (67′), before on a somewhat similar action, Eliot Matazo, who came on a few minutes earlier, saw his shot pushed back for a corner by the Alsatian goalkeeper (72′).
A great show for the first of the season at the Stade Louis-II
The KO goal having been scored, Adi Hütter took the opportunity to bring in some fresh legs and we noted the return of Maghnes Akliouche (79′), in place of Takumi Minamino, who received an ovation from the entire Fontvieille end. With this rotation, the Monegasques were in management mode and quietly kept their lead to win 3-0.
SUBLIME 🔥#ASMRCSA pic.twitter.com/soFcReWoSs
— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) August 20, 2023
They thus recorded their second win in a row and are now top of the table. The team’s next match is in Nantes on Friday (9 p.m.), with the objective of continuing this perfect start to the season.Bravo guys! 👏
Key moments 🎥
16′: Golovin’s shot goes over
20;: Minamino opens the scoring with a long shot (1-0)
36′: It’s a double for Minamino, who heads in a cross from Caio Henrique (2-0)
45 + 2: Bellegarde’s free kick from range is captured by Köhn
55′: Ben Yedder shoots just wide
58′: Captain Wiss’ adds a third on a fine pass by Minamino (3-0)
67′: A strike by Minamino goes just wide
72′: A low shot by Matazo is pushed back for a corner by Sels
The stat 📊
On Monaco’s opener, Takumi Minamino scored his first goal from outside the box in league play since August 2019 with RB Salzburg against SV Mattersburg in the Austrian Bundesliga. The Japanese player also scored his first league double since March 2018, again with the Austrian team, against Austria Vienna.
📋 Match details:
Sunday, August 20 – Stade Louis-II
Ligue 1 – Matchday 2: AS Monaco 3-0 RC Strasbourg
Halftime: 2-0
Goals: Minamino (20e), (36e), Ben Yedder (58e) pour l’AS Monaco
Bookings: Golovin (35′), Camara (47′) for AS Monaco; Bellegarde (85′) for Strasbourg
AS Monaco: Köhn – Singo, Zakaria (Matsima, 88′), Magassa – Vanderson, Fofana, Camara (Matazo, 69′), C.Henrique (Jakobs, 88′) – Minamino (Akliouche, 79′), Golovin (Diatta, 79′), Ben Yedder ©
Substitutes: Majecki, Aguilar, Jakobs, Matsima, Akliouche, Diatta, Matazo, Ben Seghir, Boadu
Manager: Adi Hütter
RC Strasbourg: Sels © – Guilbert, Doukouré (Sissoko, 79′), Nyamsi, Sylla, Delaine (Senaya, 79′) – Diarra, Bellegarde, Deminguet – Gameiro (Angelo, 59′), Mothiba (Bakwa, 59′)
Substitutes: Bellaarouch, Mwanga, Perrin, Senaya, Prcic, Sissoko, Angelo, Bakwa
Manager: Patrick Vieira
