Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 8, 18/10/24
AS Monaco and Lille OSC played out a goalless draw as Ligue 1 football returned on Friday night. Les Dogues couldn’t punish 10-man Monaco following Jordan Teze’s red card in the second half, as the Principality club extended their lead at the top of the table.
The Match
The rhythm was quickly set. Monaco pushed high and with intent out of possession and won the ball back high on several occasions. For large periods, Lille struggled to get out, ceding the lion’s share of the possession. However, it was clear that they were happy to hit on the break, with Edon Zhegrova the main outlet and a heavy reliance on individual moments of brilliance and neat interchanges with Angel Gomes and Jonathan David.
Les Monégasques looked dangerous without ever carving out clear-cut opportunities. Aleksandr Golovin saw two tame efforts saved comfortably, but the best chance of the half fell to Jordan Teze, who lacked composure in the box and blasted his rushed shot wide. Lille meanwhile, struggled to create anything at all, registering just three shots on target in the entire match.
Teze’s red card in the 62nd minute ought to have been a turning point. Already on a yellow, the Dutchman went flying in on Gabriel Gudmundsson, making contact with the LOSC defender’s neck with his knee. The straight red card was logical. But it didn’t significantly change the flow of the match.
At least until the last 10 matches, the Principality club continued to have much of the possession, much of the control, and even the better chances. Krépin Diatta should have done better when the ball fell to him within the box, but he blasted over, whilst Denis Zakaria’s effort in injury time was well saved by Lucas Chevalier.
Monaco’s ability to dominate and create, even at 10 man reflected poorly on a Lille side that looked happy to only take away one point from the Stade Louis II. If that was the goal then they achieved it. Les Monégasques are now three points ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, who can go back level with Monaco if they beat RC Strasbourg Alsace on Saturday.
Monaco player ratings
Radoslaw Majecki – 5
Caio Henrique – 6
Thilo Kehrer – 6
Wilfried Singo – 6
Jordan Teze – 2
Sloppy in possession and guilty of squandering Monaco’s best chance in the first half with a rushed finish. His tackle on Bouaddi, another clumsy moment, could have seen red, his flying kick on Gudmundsson in the second half did.
Denis Zakaria – 5
Lamine Camara – 5
Eliesse Ben Seghir – 6
Nominated for the Golden Boy award the day before, Ben Seghir was the most lively of Monaco’s attackers, making frequent dangerous runs inside from the left. Like many of his teammates, he lacked the final ball on the night.
Aleksandr Golovin – 6
Takumi Minamino – 4
George Ilenikhena – 3
Pre-match, Hütter said that Ilenikhena’s weaknesses were with his back to goal and in hold-up play. Against a LOSC side that sat deep, those weaknesses were highlighted. He rarely had the chance to run into space, to pin a man one-on-one. His influence was therefore highly limited, before being replaced by Breel Embolo in the wake of Teze’s red card.
Lille player ratings
Lucas Chevalier – 6
Mitchel Bakker – N/A
Replaced by Gabriel Gudmundsson (5)
Alexsandro – 4
Bafodé Diakité – 5
Thomas Meunier – 6
The Belgian had a lot to handle down the right. He had the marauding Caio Henrique and Eliesse Ben Seghir to contend with, and whilst the latter did impress, the left flank was not so effective for Les Monégasques, certainly not as much as they would have hoped and expected. Meunier is a big reason why.
André Gomes – 6
Ayyoub Bouaddi – 4
Osame Sahraoui – 4
Angel Gomes – 5
Edon Zhegrova – 4
Lille relied on him to provide moments of brilliance, but they were in short supply. His touch was uncharacteristically loose. It was a missed opportunity for the Kosovan, against a left-back not renowned for his defensive strengths.
Jonathan David – 5
