Monaco Triumphs in Côte d'Azur Derby Against Nice, Ascends to 2nd Place in Ligue 1
AS Monaco's victory over OGC Nice propels them into second place in Ligue 1, while Nice slips to fourth following a disappointing performance.
AS Monaco secured a decisive victory in the 108th Côte d'Azur derby against OGC Nice, winning 2-1 at the Stade Louis-II on Saturday evening.
The triumph allowed Monaco to leap to second place in Ligue 1, overtaking Marseille, who lost 3-1 to Reims earlier in the day.
With this win, Monaco has advanced its ambitions for a podium finish and direct qualification to the next UEFA Champions League.
The match saw Monaco demonstrate resilience, particularly after missing an early penalty.
In the fifth minute, Embolo was fouled in the box by Santamaria, leading to a penalty opportunity for Biereth.
However, his effort was thwarted by goalkeeper Bulka, who made a noteworthy save, extending his record of penalty stops against Monaco.
Despite a strong beginning, Monaco faced challenges in creating clear chances.
Minamino struck the crossbar with a curling shot in the eighth minute, and Akliouche found both Dante and Bulka blocking his efforts in the first half.
Nice struck first with their opening goal just before half-time.
Boga, who had yet to score this season, headed in a cross from Clauss, putting Nice ahead 1-0 in the 41st minute.
This goal came as Nice began to take control of possession, with Rosario nearly doubling the lead earlier with a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target.
After the interval, Monaco pushed back hard.
Biereth redeemed himself for his earlier penalty miss with a goal in the 55th minute, finishing a well-crafted move to make it 1-1. Shortly thereafter, Monaco appeared poised to take the lead, but Bulka denied Akliouche with another significant save.
The match intensified with review from VAR concerning a potential penalty for Monaco due to a challenge from Dante on Embolo, but the on-field decision stood.
The decisive goal came from Embolo in the 73rd minute, who netted after connecting with a pass from Akliouche.
Embolo's effort gave Monaco a 2-1 advantage, marking a successful return to competitive action for Balogun, who was substituted in for Embolo following his return from shoulder surgery.
In the late stages, Nice sought an equalizer by introducing substitutes Diop and Moffi, also returning from injury.
However, their efforts remained fruitless, and they faced a further setback with Dante receiving a red card for a foul in the dying moments of the match.
As a result of this victory, Monaco finds itself positioned in second place, preventing Paris Saint-Germain from clinching the Ligue 1 title prematurely, despite their 6-1 victory against Saint-Étienne on the same day.
The triumph allowed Monaco to leap to second place in Ligue 1, overtaking Marseille, who lost 3-1 to Reims earlier in the day.
With this win, Monaco has advanced its ambitions for a podium finish and direct qualification to the next UEFA Champions League.
The match saw Monaco demonstrate resilience, particularly after missing an early penalty.
In the fifth minute, Embolo was fouled in the box by Santamaria, leading to a penalty opportunity for Biereth.
However, his effort was thwarted by goalkeeper Bulka, who made a noteworthy save, extending his record of penalty stops against Monaco.
Despite a strong beginning, Monaco faced challenges in creating clear chances.
Minamino struck the crossbar with a curling shot in the eighth minute, and Akliouche found both Dante and Bulka blocking his efforts in the first half.
Nice struck first with their opening goal just before half-time.
Boga, who had yet to score this season, headed in a cross from Clauss, putting Nice ahead 1-0 in the 41st minute.
This goal came as Nice began to take control of possession, with Rosario nearly doubling the lead earlier with a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target.
After the interval, Monaco pushed back hard.
Biereth redeemed himself for his earlier penalty miss with a goal in the 55th minute, finishing a well-crafted move to make it 1-1. Shortly thereafter, Monaco appeared poised to take the lead, but Bulka denied Akliouche with another significant save.
The match intensified with review from VAR concerning a potential penalty for Monaco due to a challenge from Dante on Embolo, but the on-field decision stood.
The decisive goal came from Embolo in the 73rd minute, who netted after connecting with a pass from Akliouche.
Embolo's effort gave Monaco a 2-1 advantage, marking a successful return to competitive action for Balogun, who was substituted in for Embolo following his return from shoulder surgery.
In the late stages, Nice sought an equalizer by introducing substitutes Diop and Moffi, also returning from injury.
However, their efforts remained fruitless, and they faced a further setback with Dante receiving a red card for a foul in the dying moments of the match.
As a result of this victory, Monaco finds itself positioned in second place, preventing Paris Saint-Germain from clinching the Ligue 1 title prematurely, despite their 6-1 victory against Saint-Étienne on the same day.
