Goals from Takumi Minamino and Denis Zakaria helped the Monégasques to a crucial 2-0 win over Lyon, securing at least a third place finish for the Principality side.
Second half goals from Takumi Minamino and Denis Zakaria helped the Monégasques to a crucial 2-0 win over Lyon, securing at least a third place finish for the Principality side and with it, Champions League football for next season.
A LIVELY (and nervY) first half
The only game of Matchday 33 that saw two teams both in the hunt for the European places squaring off against each other, AS Monaco welcomed Lyon to the Stade Louis-II without several key players, including Folarin Balogun, Aleksandr Golovin and Al-Musrati. Lyon themselves were without veteran midfielder Corentin Tolisso, and both teams took a lively approach to the match’s early going, even with the visitors were in more dire need of a win to keep their faint European hopes alive.
Lyon would have the first chance of the match, but Alexandre Lacazette snatched at a cross from Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Monaco responded immediately, but Mika Biereth, who passed fit for the match at the eleventh hour, snatched at his chance. Lyon would strike next, with Lacazette forcing Philipp Köhn into a fine save. Less than a quarter of an hour into the match, each side had had strong chances, but the breakthrough was yet to come, even as Takumi Minamino would then test Lucas Perri after being played in by Breel Embolo.
After a blinding first twenty minutes, the rhythm of the match dropped slightly, with Clinton Mata having been forced off for the visitors. Köhn would again make a fine save, this time denying Malick Fofana just past the half-hour, but the match would reach the break with neither side able to find the net.
