The Rocher club got away with it in Normandy thanks to captain Wissam Ben Yedder, scorer from the penalty spot (33rd), and his attacking friend Kevin Volland (37th, 58th).
But the qualification was obtained without much leeway or panache, the Normans having doubted their visitors before half-time by Kalidou Sidibé (42nd).
However, this will be enough for the happiness of the Monegasque leaders who made the decision on Thursday to expel Croatian coach Niko Kovac, despite a sixth place in Ligue 1 four points from the podium and a warm ticket for the round of 16. of the Europa League.
His expected successor, the Belgian Philippe Clement, had slipped among the more than 7,800 supporters identified on Sunday at the Robert-Diochon stadium, in the suburbs of Rouen, to see his future team in action.
The training set up by the interim Stéphane Nado, coach of the reserve team, was nevertheless far from the usual standards due to the numerous absences.
Clement in Nantes?
The Red and White had to start the year 2022 despite seven cases of Covid-19 among the workforce (Sofiane Diop, Youssouf Fofana, Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile, Jean Lucas ...), the suspension of Guillermo Maripan and the glitches physical data concerning Djibril Sidibé and Aurélien Tchouaméni, among others.
The Monegasque team, rejuvenated, did not sweat serenity and could have been surprised on entry by center forward Duckens Nazon, whose close range shot was repulsed in disaster by the replacement goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki (3rd ).
But she made the difference with her "old" Ben Yedder (31 years old) and Volland (29 years old).
Clement, current coach of Club Bruges, will be able to rely on them quickly, probably from next Sunday in Nantes in the league.
© 2022 AFP