Successful operation for Monaco. Deprived of many starters and forced to play on the Norwegian synthetic, ASM absolutely had to react to preserve its chances of qualifying in the top 24 of the Champions League. With only two points after three days, Sébastien Pocognoli’s men approached this trip to Bodø/Glimt with determination despite a delicate context.
The start of the meeting was also to their advantage. Well in place, the Monegasques imposed their rhythm before being jostled by dangerous Norwegians on the counterattack. After several alerts, notably from Hogh, the Principality club regained control thanks to the activity of Akliouche and Balogun. The latter, perfectly served by Akliouche after a nice one-two, opened the scoring with a powerful shot under the bar (43′), rewarding his team’s efforts.
Monaco got scared
But as soon as they returned from the locker room, Bodø/Glimt reacted with intensity. Hogh first hit the post in the 46th minute, before Berg put Köhn on target with a free kick (54′). Monaco then suffered, multiplying technical approximations and leaving the Norwegians to settle in their camp. Despite everything, the Swiss goalkeeper held firm in the face of opposing pressure, repelling several dangerous attempts.
Eight minutes from time, Bodø/Glimt were reduced to ten men after a red card, which made the end of the match easier to manage for Monaco. The Monegasques thus won their first victory in the Champions League this season (1-0), pocketing three precious points to revive their ambitions in the competition.
