Seriously, the ASM players won one of their most significant successes of the season on Thursday to secure their European future, by beating Real Sociedad (2-1).
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They could have been content with a draw to keep the lead of their group one day from the end and even hope that PSV Eindhoven chews up their work by missing against Sturm Graz. The Monegasques did better than that by winning against Real Sociedad in Louis II, Thursday, November 25 (2-1). Thus, ASM has already secured its place for the knockout stages of the Europa League while it still has one trip to Austria to make.
By securing first place in Group B, Niko Kovac’s players ruled out any prospect of a barrage against an opponent reversed from the Champions League. They also took the opportunity to reassure themselves by ending a series of four games without a win, while bringing down a team in great shape who had not stumbled since August and whose invincibility will stop to 17 consecutive matches.
If the meeting was lively, all the evolutions in score occurred in the space of ten minutes in the heart of the first period. Monaco hit the mark first, being rewarded for their applied start to the match just as the Basques came out of the water. Kevin Volland tore himself off the goal line after a back pass inspired by Aleksandr Golovin (28th).
Sociedad quickly equalized thanks to its striker Alexander Isak (35th) taking advantage of the decentralization of the Monegasque rearguard. The Swede was found in the depth very easily between the two central defenders before adjusting another Alexander, in this case goalkeeper Nübel. But the ASM immediately repaired its mistake on a free kick from Sofiane Diop put away from the head by Benoît Badiashile – released on injury in the second period – and pushed into the net by the ubiquitous Youssouf Fofana (37th).
The face of the meeting changed after returning from the locker room. With other intentions and boosted by the entry of Ander Barrenetxea, Sociedad has recovered the controls of the meeting. The thrill caused by the cross strike of Isak (60th), who grazed the post of Nübel, will not finally been only a warning without consequence. Like the first leg (1-1), the Spanish team never managed to achieve its domination, even if the ASM played a little ten minutes outnumbered because of the expulsion of Fofana (89th), guilty of a bad gesture.