PLAYER RATINGS | Metz 2-5 Monaco: Folarin Balogun brace helps Les Monégasques up to second | OneFootball

Ligue 1, Round 27, 30/03/24

AS Monaco scored three goals in the opening 16 minutes against FC Metz to secure a comfortable victory (2-5), which sees them provisionally move ahead of Stade Brestois and into second in Ligue 1.

Relegation-fighting Metz were able to get a footing in the game before being blown away by their European-chasing opponents. Vanderson forced Alexandre Oukidja into a smart save just three minutes into the tie. It was a warning sign that was not heeded with Takumi Minamino opening the scoring just seconds later, latching onto Eliesse Ben Seghir’s ball into the box, swivelling and beating Oukidja with a shot into the near post.

The lead was doubled in the 10th minute. Having won the ball back, Maghnes Akliouche was given free rein in the Metz half. The France U21 international bided his time, before sending Oukidja the wrong way with a composed finish. Two became three in the 16th minute. Aleksandr Golovin, highly influential in a deeper position, drifted a sumptuous ball into the back post, which was met by Vanderson, whose first-time volley beat Oukidja.

Balogun makes big impact off the bench

Joel Asoro was hooked for Metz, replaced by Papa Amadou Diallo after just 24 minutes, however, the tactical switch did not have the desired effect and Monaco could – and should – have made it four before the break, and they would have done if not for a poor Wissam Ben Yedder finish.

With the three points secured, Monaco went into game management and naturally created fewer chances. However, a fourth did come thanks to Folarin Balogun, who came off the bench and diverted a poor Oukidja ball into the net. Metz finally showed a reaction seconds later and it was another substitute, Ablie Jallow, who tapped into an empty net from a ball across goal before Ibou Sané netted a very similar goal just seconds later.

For a brief moment, Metz had hopes of pulling off an improbable comeback, but they were quickly extinguished by Balogun, who met Thilo Kehrer’s near-post flick-on to net his second and put Monaco out of sight. The result puts Monaco up to second, for now, whilst Metz remain in the relegation zone.

Monaco player ratings

Radoslaw Majecki – 4

Ismail Jakobs – 5

Thilo Kehrer – 5

Wilfried Singo – 6

Vanderson – 6

Youssouf Fofana – 6

Aleksandr Golovin – 8

From a deeper position, Golovin was exquisite both in and out of possession. His distribution from deeper, less pressured areas of the pitch not only allowed Les Monégasques to break the lines but also create high-quality chances, particularly in the first half. His assist for Vanderson in the first half was sublime. Few players in the league have the technical ability to pull off that pass.

Eliesse Ben Seghir – 6

Maghnes Akliouche – 7

Takumi Minamino – 6

Wissam Ben Yedder – 4

The Frenchman, who is expected to leave Monaco at the end of the season, has gone off the ball in recent weeks and he was once again wasteful against Metz. Whilst tidy and effective in the build-up, he missed two gild-edged chances that he ought to have scored.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle