Minimako Strikes Late To Send Monaco Third In Ligue 1
Written By: Abidoye Babatunde
Quickly ahead in a big match played as part of the 23rd round of Ligue 1, the Rouge et Blanc picked up an important victory away to Le Sang et Or (2-3), to temporarily move back on to the podium.
A win that showed character and will be good for their confidence! At the end of a crazy match in which the Rouge et Blanc took an early lead at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, AS Monaco picked up a crucial victory in Lens (2-3), under the eyes of President Dmitry Rybolovlev. ✍️
Brice Samba’s magnificent save of Wissam Ben Yedder’s one-on-one effort within the opening few minutes set the tone for a pulsating first half, but the goalkeeper was soon let down by fellow teammate Kevin Danso.
Getting the wrong end of the stick, the defender gifted Folarin Balogun with the opportunity to steal the ball and barge though the left flank, as he crowned his move with a calm finish into the far corner to put Monaco in the driving seat.
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Little over 10 minutes later, Samba was once again in the spotlight, although for the wrong reasons, as the shot-stopper failed to keep Minamino’s strong shot at bay, letting it slip by into the back of the net. Lens, however, halved the Monégasques’ lead in practically no time, with Elye Wahi controversially slipping past the last defender to slot an easy finish into the bottom corner, much to the relief of Franck Haise.
Perhaps stirred by buzzing Stade Bollaert-Delelis faithful, les Sang et Or upped the ante with a flurry of attempts close to the hour mark, the closest of which struck the woodwork after a wicked deflection off Wilfried Singo.
Not before long, Haise’s intention to bring on Wesley Saïd yielded an advantage for Lens, with the Rennes academy graduate restoring parity with a rebound after Radosław Majecki saved his first attempt on goal. However, drama unfolded moments later, as Monaco won a penalty at the other end because of a cynical challenge.
Although Balogun’s spot-kick was saved by Samba, the shot-stopper was left helpless when Minamino stepped up to the task and delivered the sucker punch at the death with a superb effort from the right flank into the top corner.
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The cruel twist of fate means Lens’ resolute second-half performance was left begging for more, as they fall behind to sixth place in the Ligue 1 table after just a second H2H home defeat to Monaco this century. Meanwhile, Monaco remain unbeaten in five successive away league games, lifting themselves into the top three and strengthening their bid to secure an automatic UCL spot next campaign.
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