Monaco vs Lyon Review
Lyon ended their search for a first away win in Ligue 1 since late September by defeating AS Monaco 3-1 at the Stade Louis II. The match started off mostly uneventful, with the main highlight being Monaco’s early goalkeeper change, as Philipp Köhn came on after just 12 minutes to replace the injured Lukas Hradecky. The visitors had the first clear chance when Afonso Moreira’s weak 12-yard shot was easily saved by Köhn following a counter-attack by Lyon. Monaco’s injury troubles worsened as Christian Mawissa sustained an injury and was substituted for Kassoum Ouattara.
As the first half went on, Lyon gained control and took the lead in the 38th minute when Pavel Šulc scored by directing the ball into the net after Nicolás Tagliafico’s glancing header from a corner inside the box. However, just before halftime, the home team managed an unusual equalizer during stoppage time, as Mamadou Coulibaly took advantage of a miscommunication between the Lyon goalkeeper and defenders to score his second Ligue 1 goal of the season.
Early in the second half, controversy arose when Monaco believed they had taken the lead for the first time at the 52-minute mark with Thilo Kehrer’s header from a corner hitting the net. Nevertheless, the referee immediately ruled the goal out due to a foul in the buildup and upheld this decision even after reviewing the video footage. Adding to the home side’s frustration, Lyon regained the lead just before the 60-minute mark thanks to Šulc’s impressive 25-yard strike.
With 20 minutes left in the match, Monaco was reduced to 10 players and had no grounds for complaint after Coulibaly’s high foot hit Tagliafico’s face, leading to a direct red card. Taking advantage of the extra player, Lyon sealed the game after 79 minutes when Abner Vinícius calmly finished, easily beating Köhn to make it 3-1. Following this important away win, Paulo Fonseca’s team stays in fifth place in Ligue 1 but has narrowed the gap to fourth-placed Lille to just two points. Meanwhile, Monaco suffered their third straight league loss, dropping to ninth place, and now must focus on the Coupe de France next weekend.
