At the end of a thrilling match AS Monaco wins in Lens!

A win that showed character and will be good for their confidence! At the end of a crazy match in which the Rouge et Blanc took an early lead at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, AS Monaco picked up a crucial victory in Lens (2-3), under the eyes of President Dmitry Rybolovlev. ✍️

The context 📅

Wanting to take revenge after losing at home to Toulouse (1-2), our Rouge et Blanc wanted to show the same spirit they had in the Derby win in Nice (a 2-3 win). They would have to do it against a Sang et Or whom they had beaten twice this season (a win in the reverse fixture, and in the Coupe de France Round of 64),and who had just been eliminated from the Europa League by Freiburg. There was a sense of unease all the same, against a team which entered the match two points ahead in the table.

Les mots de Wilfried Singo avant d'affronter le @RCLens ce dimanche 🎙️

🔜 #RCLASM pic.twitter.com/1cHwEExmvv

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 23, 2024

The eleven 👥

To kick off this match in Pas-de-Calais, coach Adi Hütter decided to play with a four-man defense, marked by the return of Wilfried Singo on the right. Radoslaw Majecki, MVP of the Coupe de France win, started in goal, while the duo of Golovin and Minamino were in charge of creating chances, in support of Balogun and Ben Yedder.

The scenario 🎞

The match started in a boiling atmosphere despite the temperature (6 degrees), and with a Monegasque away end filled by more than 800 supporters. After a good three-man exchange with his captain and Youssouf Fofana, Folarin Balogun had the match’s first chance (1′).AS Monaco pushed forward from the start, and Aleksandr Golovin had an effort blocked at the last minute (2′), before Wissam Ben Yedder was denied by Brice Samba (6′).

A bit of skill from Balo to find the angle

Les Sang et Or responded, but Radeck Majecki saved from a tight angle against Elye Wahi (7′). The pressing by the Rouge et Blanc was intense, and Kassoum Ouattara was close to finding Balo with a first-time ball (12′).

It was only a postponement for the American, who won an aerial duel against Kevin Danso, before beating Brice Samba from close range at a tight angle (0-1, 19′)! It was a superb goal from our number 29, his fifth this season in Ligue 1.

On continue, 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆 ! 🙌

26' | 0⃣-1⃣ #RCLASM pic.twitter.com/hwm9vndSUj

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 25, 2024

A crazy 15 minutes

Only just ahead, Adi Hütter’s men relied on a great clearance by Guillermo Maripán to maintain their lead (20′). The rest of the half was completely crazy, since Takumi Minamino, ever the opportunist, forced Brice Samba into an own goal (0-2, 29′).

Unfortunately Elye Wahi immediately reduced the lead, sprinigng the offside trap (1-2, 32′). The Monegasque goalkeeper then denied the striker a second with a beautiful diving save (37′) before Taki’ was a little too selfless in the Lens penalty area (39′).

Lens press, but Monaco hold

Half-time is whistled on this one-goal advantage, which Radeck Majecki preserved at the start of the second half by diverting a shot from Thomasson (51′) and a powerful attempt from Pereira Da Costa (55′).

The Pole then saw a bit of luck as Wilfried Singo deflected a shot by Diouf onto the post (58′). On the counter, the Monegasques believed they had make the break immediately, but Balogun’s goal was denied for an obvious offside (62′).

A missed knockout penalty…

Past the hour mark, the coaching changes came from both benches. Dropping back, the Rouge et Blanc even conceded an equalizer from Wesley Saïd, despite yet another save from Radoslaw Majecki (2-2, 77′). But the match took a new turn, when Mr. Letexier pointed to the penalty spot for a foul on Takumi Minamino. Unfortunately Folarin Balogun was denied by Brice Samba (82′).

Brice Samba s'interpose. https://t.co/FuUhaHVabX

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 25, 2024

…before a moment of  deliverance from Taki’!

Only the big match of the 23rd round of Ligue 1 turned out to be completely crazy, and after a magnificent bit of skill, Takumi Minamino won the match with a powerful strike into the top corner (2-3, 92′)! What a sublime finish for a victory with character against Lens, which allows the Rouge et Blanc to temporarily climb back on to the podium. DAGHE MUNEGU! 🇲🇨

Key moments

1′: A three-man play between Ben Yedder, Fofana and Balogun ends with the American’s shot saved by Samba
6′: Ben Yedder turns Medina but is denied by Samba
7′: Save by Majecki on an effort by Wahi at the near post
12′: Ouattara crosses for Balogun who fails to hit the target
19′: Balogun wins the ball in the air against Danso and beats Samba from close range (0-1)
29′: Minamino takes advantage of a blocked shot from Ben Yedder to score past Samba (0-2)
32′: Wahi reduces the lead by beating the offside trap (1-2)
37′: A cutback from Pereira Da Costa finds Wahi who stumbles against Majecki
39′: Minamino gets forward and finds Balogun who cannot hit the target
45′: A shot from Pereira Da Costa is captured by Majecki
46′: A corner from Diouf is met by Sotoca who heads wide
51′: A strike by Thomasson deflected by Majecki
55′: A powerful shot from Pereira Da Costa is stopped by Majecki
58′: Diouf’s shot is deflected onto the post by Singo
62′: A goal is denied Balogun for an offside by Ben Yedder
66′: A header from Sotoca is off target
77′: Saïd equalizes from close range despite Majecki’s save (2-2)
82′: Balogun’s penalty is stopped by Brice Samba
87: A powerful strike from Frankowski is kept out by Majecki
92′: Minamino turns and fires the ball into the top corner (2-3)

The stat 📊

AS Monaco have picked up 22 points this season in Ligue 1 against teams in the top half of the table (7 wins, 1 draw, 4 defeats). Only Paris Saint-Germain have done better in matches of this type in the top flight (26 points before their match against Rennes).

📋 Match details:

Sunday, February 25 – Stade Bollaert-Delelis

Ligue 1 – Matchday 23: RC Lens 2-3 AS Monaco 

Halftime: 1-2

Goals: Wahi (32′), Saïd (77′) for Lens; Balogun (19′), Minamino (29′ and 92′) for AS Monaco

Bookings: Medina (45+3′), Thomasson (53′), Pereira Da Costa (64′), Samba (82′), Wahi (95′) and Aguilar (97′) for Lens; Ouattara (25′), Diop (95′) and Majecki (96′) for AS Monaco

Lens: Samba © – Gradit, Danso, Medina – Aguilar, Diouf (El Aynaoui, 71′), Mendy, Chavez (Frankowski, 24′) – Thomasson (Saïd, 70′), Wahi, Pereira Da Costa (Sishuba, 88′)

Substitutes: Leca, Frankowski, Khusanov, Abdul Samed, El Aynaoui, Fulgini, Saïd, Sotoca, Sishuba

Manager: Franck Haise

AS Monaco: Majecki – Singo, Maripán, Salisu, Ouattara (Diop, 63′) – Minamino, Fofana, Zakaria, Golovin – Balogun (Magassa, 95′), Ben Yedder © (Ben Seghir, 71′)

Substitutes: Köhn, Platret, Valme, Benama, Ben Seghir, Coulibaly, Diop, Magassa, Michal

Manager: Adi Hütter