AS Monaco fell just short in their battle against Lille, suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Despite pulling a goal back before half-time, the Red and Whites were unable to find an equaliser in a fiercely contested match on the 23rd day of Ligue 1.
Having won their last three home matches against Rennes, Auxerre, and Nantes, Monaco had hoped to carry that momentum on the road. Lille, however, proved a difficult opponent, with history showing that while the Monegasques have claimed 18 victories in 52 meetings in the North, their recent visits have ended in disappointment. Coach Adi Hütter opted for a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, with the defensive pairing of Wilfried Singo and Mamadou Mawissa at the back, while Krépin Diatta took charge on the left wing. The midfield saw the duo of Mohamed Camara and Denis Zakaria working in tandem, and up front, Mika Biereth led the attack.
The atmosphere inside the Stade Pierre-Mauroy was electric, with more than 700 Monaco fans making the trip to support their team. In the opening exchanges, Lille looked the more dangerous side, threatening through Mukau’s long-range strike and a tight-angle effort from Akpom, both of which were kept out by Monaco’s goalkeeper Radosław Majecki. However, the breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when Lille’s Haraldsson struck a precise left-footed shot into the bottom corner, giving the hosts a deserved lead.
Monaco responded with attacking intent, as Eliesse Ben Seghir came close to capitalising on a deflected cross, but his effort was denied by Lille’s keeper Lucas Chevalier. Just as the visitors seemed to be regaining control, Haraldsson struck again in the 42nd minute, doubling Lille’s advantage after his initial shot was blocked.
Determined to stay in the contest, Monaco found a crucial goal just before half-time. Biereth provided a brilliant backheel assist, setting up Takumi Minamino to score and reduce the deficit to 2-1 in stoppage time. The Japanese international’s goal was his third in as many matches, and it reignited hope for the visitors heading into the second half.
After the restart, Monaco pushed for an equaliser. Wilfried Singo came close with a header from a corner, while Lille’s Jonathan David tested Majecki with a long-range effort. Sensing an opportunity to shift the momentum, Hütter made a triple substitution, injecting fresh energy into the side.
Lille, however, were determined to slow the pace, breaking up Monaco’s rhythm with a series of fouls. In the final moments, Chevalier produced a brilliant double save to deny 18-year-old striker Ilenikhena and Minamino, keeping Lille’s lead intact. A last-gasp effort deep into stoppage time also failed to find the net, confirming Monaco’s defeat in the North.
With this result behind them, Monaco will now look to bounce back when they return to the Stade Louis-II to face Stade de Reims next Friday, February 28 at 20:45.
