Monaco beat Le Havre to go joint-top
Match Reports
After a cracking win in the UEFA Champions League in the week, it was back to Ligue 1 McDonald's action for AS Monaco. With three wins and a draw from their first four matches, and with leaders Paris Saint-Germain having drawn the night before, the Principality side had a golden opportunity to go joint-top against a battling Le Havre team.
A lively first half...
The hosts made several changes to the side that beat Barcelona, with supersub George Ilenikhena starting, along with fellow summer arrival Jordan Teze. Le Havre would be more or less unchanged, playing a 3-5-2 as they looked to at least repeat last season's 1-1 draw at the Stade-Louis II.
It would be the hosts who struck first, with Takumi Minamino setting up Teze for the opener with just nine minutes on the clock. Midfielder Sougoutou Magassa, a surprise starter alongside Lamine Camara in midfield, almost doubled the lead, but it would be Le Havre who scored next, with Daler Kuzyaev rocketing in a low shot on the half hour as Monaco failed to clear a free kick. Folarin Balogun would hit the bar moments later, but halftime would come with the score level.
FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON FOR BALOGUN 🇺🇸🫡 pic.twitter.com/qN6IfRhTAI
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) September 22, 2024
Before HĂĽtter's changes make the difference
Unhappy with only drawing against the Normans, Monaco manager Adi Hütter made a pair of changes at the break, bringing on captain Denis Zakaria and Eliesse Ben Seghir. While Le Havre thought they had scored after the break through Josué Casimir, VAR would eventually rule it out, and midway through the half, the hosts would take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
On the turn, Ben Seghir, taking advantage of some good work from Wilfried Singo, would find the opposite corner from the edge of the area, his second goal of the season after netting against Lyon last month. It wasn't long before the hosts had a third to double their lead, as Balogun was also the beneficiary of some strong build-up play, some excellent pressing by Zakaria leading to a turnover before Ilenikhena played in the American to make it 3-1. Neither side would have further strong opportunities and Monaco ended the match level with PSG before Marseille take on Lyon later this evening.
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