Recap: Ben Seghir helps Monaco stay perfect
Match Reports
Having not won in Lyon in seven seasons -- including six straight losses, a week after defeating the Gones' derby rivals, AS Saint-Étienne, at home, AS Monaco played their first road match of the season with a chip on their shoulder. That chip proved to be plenty of motivation as the visitors ran out comfortable 2-0 winners, moving level with Paris Saint-Germain atop the table and deepening their opponents' misery ahead of both starting European play next month.
Honors even at the break
From the off, despite missing Aleksandr Golovin and goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki, the Principality side were wager to take the game to their hosts, having switched to a 4-2-3-1 with Breel Embolo leading the line and Maghnes Akliouche coming in for Folarin Balogun. The Swiss striker proved to be a handful for Lyon, who welcomed captain Alexandre Lacazette back into the team follow his participation in the games in Paris.
Another Paris participant, Morocco's Eliesse Ben Seghir, set up Embolo for the game's first big chance midway through the first half, but he couldn't get his effort on target. Lyon had a few fleeting chances, but with Monaco unable to break the hosts' resistance, the half finished with neither side having found the back of the net.
A GOAL THAT'S #MadeInLaDiagonale TAKES US AHEAD 🤤
64' | 0️⃣-1⃣ #OLASM pic.twitter.com/mBCtnBCL70— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) August 24, 2024
A goal made in the academy
It wouldn't take long for the Principality side to break the deadlock in the second half, though. Academy products Akliouche and Ben Seghir combined just past the hour mark to give Monaco a lead they wouldn't relinquish, the former getting forward on the right before picking out the latter in the area. Both managers made changes, and debutant Jordan Teze was even close to doubling the lead, but that would ultimately fall to Lamine Camara, the young midfielder signed from Metz, who scored ten minutes from time on an assist from Kassoum Ouattara. The win sees Monaco not only continue their perfect start to the season, but keep their fourth consecutive clean sheet, while leaving Lyon bottom of the table.
Speaking post-match to the press, the hosts' manager, Pierre Sage, was asked about this result portending a beginning to the season as challenging as last year's had been, but he was quick to denounce that idea, saying, "This is not about the spectre of last season, but rather the fact that we did not have a good week before the game. I believe that once these sort of things are resolved, when everyone takes into account what they should be doing things will change. That's what I told the players. We are completely responsible for what happens to us."
Lyon will hope to bounce back on Friday against Strasbourg, while Monaco host Will Still's RC Lens on Sunday afternoon as they look to keep the pressure on PSG ahead of the capital side facing LOSC Lille in the late match.
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