AS Monaco equalled their best winning streak in Ligue 1 since February 2021 with a 2-0 home victory over SCO Angers. The win marks the hosts’ seventh in a row and keeps the ‘Monégasques’ in contention for UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualification.
It was perplexing how neither side had broken the deadlock inside the opening nine minutes as chances at each end were wasted. Marin Jakoliš got it all wrong as he failed to put the underdogs ahead when hitting a first-time volley wide when unmarked from six yards, whilst Wissam Ben Yedder simply lacked composure, misfiring over the crossbar one-on-one with Anthony Mandrea.
With ‘Le SCO’ only four points above the drop zone after a run of one win in their last 13 matches, a result was of vital importance, and for that they would need all 11 men on the pitch. Angers were perhaps fortunate to keep it that way when Souleyman Doumbia escaped with a yellow after bringing his studs down on Ruben Aguilar, but they evidently used up their luck in that one moment as Abdoulaye Bamba’s own goal put the visitors 1-0 down at HT. Youssouf Fofana excellently dribbled past three defenders before shooting, and Mandrea’s parry was wickedly diverted in by his teammate.
On the other side of the spectrum, this was doing wonders for the ‘Monégasques’ and their increasing hopes of UCL qualification. They emerged seeking to put the match beyond doubt, but were amazingly denied three goals in the opening seven minutes of the second half due to offside – one from Kevin Volland, and two from Ben Yedder.
The hosts didn’t let frustration get the better of them, however, and Angers’ offside trap was finally beaten in the 61st minute. Breaking five-on-one from an away corner, Volland squared to Ben Yedder, who had the easy job of slotting his side’s second and final goal past Mandrea. With only three matches remaining, Monaco keep pace with Rennes on 62 points, but sit behind them in fourth place due to goal difference. Some consolation for Angers will be that fellow relegation candidates Lorient and Clermont also fell to defeat, so they remain 15th in the Ligue 1 standings.
