Monaco (AFP)

Monaco qualified for the round of 16 in the Coupe de la Ligue by winning against Marseille, which reacted too late (2-1) and embarked on the crisis Wednesday night at Stade Louis-II.

With, now, only one victory (against Strasbourg, 2-0) on their last seven matches, all competitions, the Marseillais, already humiliated at the Parc des Princes (0-4) last Sunday, are indeed in crisis.

Saturday, at the reception of Lille on behalf of the 12th day of Ligue 1, Stade Vélodrome may scold. The pressure will be very strong on the shoulders of André Villas-Boas and his players. And certainly more on their direction, that the many supporters present in Monaco have vilified after the defeat.

Monegasque side, Leonardo Jardim can be satisfied with the qualification, a continued dynamic, the way his team clung to the score after the goal against his camp Benjamin Lecomte (2-1, 77th) and the way some of whom (including Augustin, Maripan and Aguilar) have behaved.

Jardim had explained before the meeting that Monaco would never denigrate the League Cup. Despite seven changes compared to the starting lineup winner in Nantes (1-0) last Friday, his players have kept their word.

Even though CeMarley Aké, sc Fabrégas was very quickly injured (11th), even if the young center-forward Marley Aké, who was the first tenure with the first team of the OM, creates the first opportunity but crosses his strike too (13th), Monaco has never trembled during the first period.

- Very good Augustin -

Soon Baldé-Augustin doublet went into action. The first has often been a poison for the Olympian defense. The second adjusted the target after a first miss (16th).

On a center of Ruben Aguilar, his control-strikes in front of a passive Boubacar Camara, is surgical and impossible to stop for Steve Mandanda (1-0, 25th).

Before the break, the former Parisian then performs a high-flying breakthrough. After Hiroki Sakai, he sees Mandanda hijack his shot. But Aguilar followed. He is ahead of Caleta-Car and Amavi (2-0, 40).

On September 15, Monaco led 2-0 before breaking completely. This time OM, without Benedetto suspended, did not have enough springs to reverse the situation.

Villas-Boas made two successful changes at the break (entries from Rongier and Radonjic instead of Aké and Sarr). Dimitri Payet has finally shown his best side by regularly martyring Aguilar, as on the goal (77th). But Monaco held and qualified.

© 2019 AFP