Monaco’s alarming slide dims the high expectations early in the season

By Canadian Press on February 14, 2025.

PARIS (AP) — A few months ago, Monaco was riding high in the French league and impressing in the Champions League.

Now it’s all going wrong for coach Adi Hütter’s side.

When a 5-1 rout of Red Star Belgrade in late October made it 11 games unbeaten for the Principality side — including a prestigious win against Barcelona — the amiable Hütter was earning high praise for his team’s audacious style of play.

How things have changed.

Monaco has since been completely distanced in the Ligue 1 title race and trails Benfica in their Champions League playoff ahead of next week’s second leg.

Monaco is also out of the French Cup, so silverware looks unlikely, and the pressure is mounting ahead of Saturday’s home game with Nantes.

While unbeaten Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain has pulled 16 points clear of fourth-place Monaco and seems too far ahead to be caught, Monaco is looking over its shoulder. Lille is two points behind in fifth place and Lyon four behind in sixth spot.

After making a strong start in Ligue 1 — thanks to a tight defense conceding only four goals in the first eight games — Monaco is leaking goals with alarming ease.

Hütter’s side has lost six of the past 10 games overall, including to rock-bottom Montpellier. Monaco has kept only one clean sheet in 12 games and conceded 23 goals during that spell — including 12 in the past five.

Neither goalkeeper has been convincing, with Radoslaw Majecki proving error-prone after taking Philipp Köhn’s spot.

Hütter’s side is far from looking like the credible-looking title contender it was at the start of the season.

Lyon still has European ambitions

Lyon is looking to build momentum as it chases a European place next season and kicks off Sunday’s games at Montpellier.

After taking charge, Fonseca pledged to play a more attacking style and Lyon has scored six goals in his two matches so far — including a 4-0 win against Reims last weekend which saw four different players scoring.

Former France midfielder Corentin Tolisso, who won the World Cup with Les Bleus in 2018, has found his form again and has scored in both games. Attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki played a part in all four goals against Reims.

“When you have Cherki at this level, it’s difficult for us to lose,” Tolisso said.

But the 21-year-old has proved inconsistent over the years and maintaining such form will be vital to Lyon’s chances of qualifying for a European place.

Fonseca’s other task is helping captain Alexandre Lacazette find his scoring touch again. After two prolific seasons, where he netted 46 times in 64 matches, the former Arsenal forward has a modest return of six league goals this time.

But he should get chances against Montpellier’s leaky defense, which has conceded a league-worst 48 goals.

10 and counting for Dembélé

Ousmane Dembélé is in the most prolific form of his career and will look to score for the 11th straight game heading into Saturday’s trip to Toulouse.

The France forward is Ligue 1’s top scorer with 16 goals — three more than Marseille’s Mason Greenwood.

Marseille hosts Saint-Etienne on Sunday with no visiting fans due to a high risk of confrontation between rival supporters.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press