The eighth match-day of the 2020/21 Ligue 1 season presented great difficulties for AS Monaco as they visited Olympique Lyonnais. The first-half will no doubt be tough to forget for head coach Niko Kovac as he saw his side concede four goals within 41 minutes of kick-off. The red and whites actually got off on the right foot with a couple of accurate attempts on goal but Lyon’s goalie Anthony Lopes remained ever vigilant. A counter-attack in the 12th minute gave way to a goal from Lyon’s Memphis Depay as he opened up the scoring.
The hosts then followed up through Karl Toko Ekambi’s right foot on two occasions, the 33rd and 44th minutes. To make matters worse for Monaco, Lyon’s Houssem Aouar was able to convert a penalty at the 41st minute. This string of goals resulted in a 4-0 scoreline at the break.
The Principality side returned to the pitch with a thirst for vengeance and some fresh energy as Chrislain Matsima, Caio Henrique and Cesc Fabregas joined the action. Monaco’s Ruben Aguilar then hastily gained a penalty which Wissam Ben Yedder took with ease, resulting in the red and white’s only goal of the night. The subsequent minutes saw many Monaco men make their attempts on goal but to no avail. Lyon’s Moussa Dembélé eventually found the back of the visitor’s net but was marked offside. A red card for Lyon defender Melvin Bard arrived at the 89th minute, far too late in the game to bring Monaco any real advantage.
Monaco now find themselves in 12th place on the Ligue 1 table, a dramatic contrast to the beginning of the 2020/21 season. The next fixture will see Monaco host Bordeaux under the floodlight of Stade Louis II on November 1 from 16:00.
Featured Image: Wissam Ben Yedder appears pained on the Lyon pitch
