Ligue 1 leaders Monaco were left frustrated in a 0-0 draw with Lille on Friday, a match that saw them reduced to 10 men. The result moved Monaco to 20 points, maintaining a three-point lead over reigning champions Paris-Saint Germain, who play Strasbourg on Saturday.
Monaco played the last 30 minutes with a man down after Dutch international Jordan Teze was shown a red card for a harsh tackle on Gabriel Gudmundsson. Despite the disadvantage, Monaco continued to push for a winner, with Maghnes Akliouche creating a late chance for Denis Zakaria, whose injury-time shot was well saved by Lille’s goalkeeper, Lucas Chevalier.
Monaco sorely felt the absence of American forward Folarin Balogun, sidelined with a long-term shoulder injury. “We lost two points this evening, but I saw a very good performance from our team,” said Monaco coach Adi Huetter. “We were the best side on the pitch and deserved victory. We remain undefeated, and it’s a good point for us.”
The match marked the first time this season that Monaco failed to score. “Chevalier made a great save, and we must remember that Monaco are still developing. We can’t always win. Our team is young,” Huetter added. He also expressed concern over striker Breel Embolo, who has yet to score this season. “We need to work on that. He may have doubts, but he played very well tonight. We have to give him confidence and keep believing in him.”
Monaco’s next match is at home against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Lille, now fourth in the table and six points behind Monaco, had little to celebrate despite the point. Their coach, Bruno Genesio, was critical of the team’s performance. “Nothing worked, and the players didn’t do what was expected,” he said. “I feel sorry for the TV viewers. We salvaged a point thanks to Lucas Chevalier. This is not the kind of football I want to see. Sometimes, defeats can be more encouraging than a match like this.”
Lille’s next challenge will be on Wednesday when they face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
