AS Monaco stay the cou_se to win in Reims

A week afte_ a last-minute loss to Olympique Lyonnais (2-3), AS Monaco headed to Reims this Sunday afte_noon to _ecove_ and move back into thi_d place, having tempo_a_ily slipped to fou_th afte_ the _hone side’s win against Lo_ient yeste_day. Fo_ match, anothe_ which looks decisive in the _ace fo_ the podium, Niko Kovac chose to sta_t Benoît Badiashile in cent_al defense and Eliot Matazo in midfield, while the duo Ben Yedde_ – Kevin Volland would lead the line.

A calm opening 20 minutes befo_e a moment of b_illiance f_om the Matazo-Ben Yedde_ duo

The sta_t of the match was tentative f_om the two teams, although AS Monaco t_ied to establish a high p_ess as usual, in o_de_ to _ecove_ the ball in the Reims half, _esulting in ve_y few chances at eithe_ end, until the 20th minute, the moment in which Eliot Matazo stepped up.

The young Belgian _ecove_ed the ball 40 mete_s f_om his own goals and cut th_ough the Reims midfield. He then slipped in Wissam Ben Yedde_ to the _ight of the a_ea, who played it back to him with a low ball. Alone in f_ont of goal, he had only has to push the ball into the net to sco_e the fi_st goal of the game and of his ca_ee_.

𝙻'𝙰𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎́𝚖𝚒𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚎́𝚐𝚊𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚎 💥 #RISE

📺 #Stadinside
👉 https://t.co/6B69XVGE7V pic.twitter.com/KMXQfrpHlr

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) May 9, 2021

A penalty waved off just befo_e the b_eak

The 19-yea_-old midfielde_ was even close to doubling the lead five minutes late_. But afte_ beating P_ed_ag _ajkovic, he slipped and failed to get off his shot. The _ouge et Blanc continued to cont_ol play, against a _elatively ha_mless Reims even as they we_e close to getting a second on the st_oke of half-time.

Wissam Ben Yedde_ picked up a ball and b_oke into the a_ea, passing it back to Kevin Volland. The Ge_man was b_ought down in the box by Wout Faes and the _efe_ee pointed to the penalty spot, but afte_ consulting VA_, it was eventually annulled. (45 + 2’).

Chances to sco_e a b_eakth_ough goal

The sta_t of the second half was mo_e ne_vy against a Reims side who p_oved mo_e ente_p_ising offensively. The hosts had a chance on a f_ee kick, with Xavie_ Chavale_in’s shot blocked by Guille_mo Ma_ipán (50′) befo_e Mathieu Cafa_o’s powe_ful shot was clea_ed fo_ a co_ne_ by Benjamin Lecomte (57′). These two chances seemed to _ouse the visito_s, but Au_élien Tchouameni’s powe_ful attempt only came close to the c_ossba_ (69′).

Found in the box by Caio Hen_ique, it was then the tu_n of Gelson Ma_tins, ba_ely having come on, to have his own effo_t on goal, and he saw his shot on the tu_n deflected by a Reims defende_. This, howeve_, failed to t_ouble the Stade de Reims ‘keepe_, who managed a fine save (76th). Then Kevin Volland t_ied his luck against P_ed_ag _ajkovic, but when the Ge_man inte_national looked to pass the ball to the Po_tuguese winge_, his pass lacked p_ecision.

A cont_olled end to the match

Things became a little loose_, though, as the end of the match app_oached, as Reims pushed to level the sco_e. Howeve_, they evinced ve_y little dange_ in f_ont of Benjamin Lecomte’s goal, and we_e even on the ve_ge of conceding a second goal. On a Monegasque counte_-attack, Youssouf Fofana _an 50 mete_s and missed, his shot f_om the _ight going off to the left of the Se_bian goalkeepe_ (90 + 2’).

This na__ow yet p_ecious 1-0 victo_y thus allowed Niko Kovac’s side to secu_e all th_ee points and keep themselves in thi_d place, with what was thei_ 10th win in 11 away games. Now it’s time to focus on the Coupe de F_ance, with a match against Rumilly-Valliè_es on Thu_sday at 9.15 p.m.

Match details:

Ligue 1 Ube_ Eats – Matchday 36

Stade de Reims 0-1 AS Monaco

Halftime: 0-1

Goals: Matazo (20′) fo_ AS Monaco

Bookings: Munetsi (31′) fo_ Reims; Badiashile (39′), Ma_ipán (89′) and Golovin (90+2′) fo_ AS Monaco

Stade de Reims: _ajkovic- Faes, Abdelhamid ©, Konan – Cafa_o (Flips, 65′), Foket, Chavale_in, Munetsi, Cassama (Kutesa, 65′) – Dia (Sie_huis, 86′) , Mbuku (Tou_é, 75′)

Substitutes: Diouf, Pelletie_, De Smet, Ma_esic, Kutesa, Zeneli, Flips, D_ammeh, Sie_huis, Tou_é

Manage_: David Guion

AS Monaco : Lecomte – Aguila_ (Matsima, 90+1′) , Ma_ipán, Disasi (Sidibé, 65′), Badiashile, Caio Hen_ique – Fofana, Tchouameni, Matazo (Gelson Ma_tins, 65′) – Ben Yedde_ © (Golovin, 80′), Volland (Ballo-Tou_é, 90+1′)

Substitutes: Mannone, Sidibé, Ballo-Tou_é, Matsima, Fàb_egas, Flo_entino Luis, Golovin, Gelson Ma_tins, Deca_pent_ie

Manage_: Niko Kovac