AS Monaco won the Riviera derby this Sunday for the 21st day of Ligue 1 (3-2). A big blow for the Principality club.
The elimination against Rouen in the Coupe de France was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Completely at a standstill since the start of the calendar year, AS Monaco approached this Riviera derby against neighboring Nice with the idea of giving a response to its detractors. And the Principality club succeeded. At the end of a contested, bitter and long-undecided match, the Monegasques had the last word to sign a perhaps foundational success for the future.
This match, the Rocher players took it from the right end by striking a first time after a quarter of an hour of play. Zakaria broke the deadlock with a marvelous shot from 30 meters (0-1, 16th). Stung, the Aiglons revolted at the end of the first period. Louchet won a penalty in a duel with Kehrer. Laborde transformed it with authority to tie the two teams (1-1, 37th).
Monaco’s big blow
But in this incredible derby, it was the Monegasques who always had a head start. The excellent Zakarian restored the advantage to the Principality club with a powerful helmet strike (1-2, 50th). The expulsion of Dante in the process further unbalanced the balance of power (54th), but Guessand allowed the valiant Niçois to resurface once again (2-2, 74th). Admirable, but insufficient. Golovin definitively sealed the Monegasque success with a goal from the surface a few minutes later (2-3, 77th).
Monaco is back on the 3rd step of the podium, one point behind its evening host. The end point of the week of all contrasts for the Principality club.
