Monaco resist Real Sociedad but lose first place
Solid from the start, the Monegasques opened the scoring thanks to a goal from their captain Axel disasi in the 16th minute, but then went completely out and conceded the equalizer goal by Merino Mikel (53rd).
But this result confirms the good Monegasque dispositions in September, authors of three wins (against Sturm, Saint-Etienne and Clermont-Ferrand), a draw and a loss (in Marseille).
The Real Sociedad, current 2nd in the Spanish championship behind Real Madrid played its first European match on Thursday, its public (23,765 supporters) since the start of the pandemic, after being suspended 2-2 on the ground of PSV Eindhoven at the opening of C3, there are two weeks.
The Monegasques, with Wissam Ben Yedder retained on the bench, managed to take the lead early in the game.
Solid Nübel
From the 16th minute, Monegasque captain Axel Disasi won in the air in front of two defenders, and headed a corner hit by Sofiane Diop to slip the ball between the post and Alex Remiro’s hands.
But after this initial but which launched Niko Kovac’s men perfectly, the Monegasques have completely disappeared, collapsing under the Basque assaults. Over the minutes, the Basques are more and more threatening and Monaco has ended up retreating into its camp.
Returning from the locker room (53rd), the acrobatic recovery of Portu, hyperactive and on the front of the Basque attack, for example almost surprised Alexandre nubel, vigilant.
But the German goalkeeper was too short on the recovery of Mikel Merino’s uncrossed header, which allowed Real Sociedad to pick up the score.
However, he saved his family from the debacle with several decisive saves at the end of the match, including this stop of the torso after a powerful strike from Portu in the 64th.
The end of the meeting was marked by a general scuffle and distribution of several yellow cards, after a nasty fault by Kevin Volland on Martin Zubimendi (90th + 1).