Ligue 1, Round 13, 13/01/2024
A diminished Stade de Reims side secured a deserved 3-1 victory over AS Monaco to put themselves back in the conversation for European football next season.
It was a game short on clear-cut opportunities. Reims, despite their many AFCON and Asian Cup absences were solid and well-organised and were difficult to break down, even if Monaco didn’t ask many questions of them. Kassoum Ouattara looked the most threatening, but the French wing-back, making his first Ligue 1 start for the Principality club, lacked the finishing touch after having found himself in some dangerous situations.
However, he did tee-up Wissam Ben Yedder for Monaco’s best chance of the first half. Ouattara’s cross was met by the unmarked ben Yedder, but well saved by Yehvann Diouf.
However, it was Reims who took the lead thanks to a sublime curled effort from Teddy Teuma midway through the frst-half. Les Monégasques were lacking in inspiration and replaced Maghnes Akliouche with Folarin Balogun at half-time. That change had an immediate effect with Monaco levelling just after the break through a flicked Ben Yedder header from an Aleksandr Golovin shot.
Reims, however, struck back immediately through Réda Khadra, who completed a brilliant solo effort with a neat finish past Philipp Köhn. There was no reaction from Monaco who looked to accpet their fate. Instead it was Reims who got the final goal with Azor Matusiwa ensuring the three points late in injury-time.
Les Stadistes move up to fifth and ahead of Marseille, whilst Monaco remain in third and could be caught by Stade Brestois this weekend.
Monaco player ratings
Philipp Köhn – 5
Thilo Kehrer – 5
Guillermo Maripán – 2
Monaco’s most experienced centre-back has been unconvincing for large parts of the season and was at fault for MoReims’ second, which handed the momentum back to the visting side. He was uncharatceristically weak in duels, winging just three of his seven.
Soungoutou Magassa – 2
The France U21 international has looked at home in an unfamiliar position the since the start of the season, but he looked ill at ease against Reims, commiting freuent, and sometimes costly errors and being too light in the duels.
Kassoum Ouattara – 5
Denis Zakaria – 6
Monaco’s most convincing player. Zakaria was tidy in possession and did well covering his struglging centre-backs and making some crucial interceptions. A solid match but not a decisive one for the Swiss international.
Youssouf Fofana – 4
Vanderson – 4
Aleksandr Golovin – 5
Maghnes Akliouche – 3
Absent in the first half, he couldn’t get involved and when finding himself on the ball in dangerous areas, he lacked the touch and composure to make the difference. He was logically replaced by Folarin Balogun (4) at the break.
Wissam Ben Yedder – 5
Reims selected player ratings
Teddy Teuma – 7
Lit up what was a turgid affair in the first-half with a brilliant curling finish from outside the box. In the absence of some key players, he took the mantle as the creator-in-chief, but also the goalscorer. Well-poisitioned and determined out of possession, it was a complete performance from Teuma, who had a considerable impact on the final score.
