Monaco sinks Ajaccio and puts OM under pressure

The match: 0-2

With four games without a win since their elimination in the Europa League play-offs, the Monegasques were counting on their trip to Corsica to rekindle a positive momentum. With the memory of the devastating 7-1 inflicted on Ajaccio on their way to Louis II, the ground seemed conducive to the rebound. Especially as the ACA players quickly showed signs of defensive feverishness – inaccuracies and two yellow cards in the first quarter (Belaïli and Diallo) – before Diallo came out injured (17th).

And it was after another Corsican foul that Monaco opened the scoring with a free-kick from Ben Yedder on the lookout, after goalkeeper Leroy saved from a header from Maripan (27th). Not irresistible in the game, Philippe Clement’s men must not tremble in this first period, as the Corsicans have not found the frame on two distant attempts by Coutadeur (42nd) and Belaïli (45th + 4).

The second period started with another blow for the Corsicans with the exclusion of Bayala, guilty of a tackle above the ankle of Henrique (53rd). Monaco showed no more convincing and even less dangerous, in contrast to the sharp-witted Ajacciens by the incoming Spadanuda and Nouri upset by Disasi (80th). And it was finally on a Monegasque counter that Camara projected himself before serving Diatta for the break (84th).

With this victory, Monaco returns to two points behind number three OM, who will play in Reims tonight (8.45 p.m.), and is five points behind LOSC and seven points behind Rennes in the race for the Europa League. points for his trip to the Parc des Princes (next Sunday at 5:05 p.m.). For their part, the Ajacciens, still 18th, will inevitably see their direct competitors for the maintenance points as they face each other this Sunday afternoon (Strasbourg-Auxerre and Troyes-Brest, 3 p.m.).

The player: two podiums for Ben Yedder

Wissam Ben Yedder, who scored the last of his six Ligue 1 hat-tricks in the first leg against Ajaccio, knows the stats well. And he’s smart. He knows very well that ASM has scored 12 headers in L1 this season and no one has done better. The France international also knows that a goalkeeper can work wonders and that you have to follow every ball.

So when Benjamin Leroy blocked Guillermo Maripan’s header with a header, he was there to finish, open the scoring and become the third player in history to score 80 goals for Monaco in Ligue 1, after Delio Onnis ( 157) and Lucien Cossou (97). . The captain also joins Alexandre Lacazette (17 goals) in the scoring lists this season behind Kylian Mbappé and Jonathan David (19). Out, very frustrated, in the 77th minute.