Monaco saves draw against Lille
The game: 2-2
On this national holiday, in the Principality, the flourishing has not come to an end, but Monaco can at least be satisfied to have stopped the worst against Lille (2-2), on behalf of the 14th day of Ligue 1, going up a handicap of two goals, conceded after nine minutes of play, only.
Because, it was the Mastiffs who bit first in this meeting. In less than 10 minutes, they had achieved the break, thanks to a double from Jonathan David (see below), facing completely apathetic and disorganized opponents. Was it the consequences of their choice of coach?
Niko Kovac, in this case, had abandoned his hybrid system (3-4-2-1) in a more traditional 4-4-2 and, above all, left Wissam Ben Yedder and Gelson Martins on the bench, replaced respectively by Myron Boadu and Krépin Diatta, knowing that Benoît Badiashile and Alexandre Golovine were suspended. For a long time, nothing worked and LOSC could have taken off, with more technical accuracy in the penalty area, especially from Timothy Weah.
So the locals regained their confidence and Krépin Diatta, after seeing his serve wasted by Boadu (28′), took it upon himself to confirm this new grip with a powerful shot at the near post (41′). Enough to start the second period with other ideas, even without his Senegalese striker, replaced on injury (left knee) by Gelson Martins (46th).
And it was first Kevin Volland who had the opportunity to equalize. The little kick from the German international was released on his goal line by Tiago Djalo (49th), then his pivot shot was repelled by Ivo Grbic (52nd). But he ended up being decisive by serving perfectly in the area Ben Yedder, returned eleven minutes earlier (83rd).
A logical equalizer for Monaco, even though its central defender, Srahinja Pavlovic, had been excluded for a second yellow card (78th). A disappointing result for Lille, whose final burst (strikes from incoming Burak Yilmaz, 90th + 3, 90th + 5) proved far too timid and which thus pushes its series without a win to five games (2 wins, 3 null). And that’s how LOSC have now lost 8 points in the last 15 minutes this season.
The player: David, good foot, good eye
He was however deprived, at the kick-off, of his usual friend in attack. But without Burak Yilmaz, Jonathan David did not lack bearings or acuity in front of goal, when he was hit in the eye with Canada last Tuesday, delivering a time hovering in doubt about his presence in the Principality . In less than nine minutes, he had scored twice, from the penalty spot, after a foul by Pavlovic on Xeka (5th) and, on an opening by Djalo, against Alexander Nübel, from the left (9th). But he then lost his duel with the German goalkeeper (39th), which is one of the turning points of this meeting. Replaced, tired, by Isaac Lihadji (80th), David scored 10 goals this season, including 3 doubled. No player born after 2000 has done better in the 5 major European leagues.
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Monaco striker, Wissam Ben Yedder, has scored 8 Ligue 1 goals after coming on as a substitute in 2021, at least 3 more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.