AS Monaco 2-2 FC Lorient

THE MATCH

In-form Monaco came into this game at the Stade Louis II chasing an eighth straight Ligue 1 Uber Eats victory and a ninth win in a row in all competitions. If they could do that, then Niko Kovac’s side would move to within a point of Olympique Lyonnais in third place.

However, Lorient are a side transformed since losing 5-2 at home to the same opponents little over a month ago. They arrived on the Mediterranean coast on a five-game unbeaten run and having taken 10 points from the last 12 available. And the visitors duly took the lead inside the seventh minute thanks to Terem Moffi, the Nigerian forward rolling in a penalty awarded after Monaco goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte had hauled down Yoane Wissa in the box.

That goal separated the sides at the interval but Monaco won a penalty of their own within moments of the restart as Houboulang Mendes handled in the Lorient box. Ben Yedder stepped up to convert from the spot, his seventh penalty conversion of the campaign (48’).

Moffi restored Lorient’s lead just after the hour mark, continuing his own impressive goal-scoring form, but Monaco did manage to maintain their unbeaten record in 2021 as Ben Yedder made it 2-2 in the last minute, firing home from Benoît Badiashile’s knock-down and denying Lorient a potentially huge win in their battle to avoid relegation.

THE PLAYER: Terem Moffi

Signed from Kortrijk in Belgium at the beginning of the campaign, Moffi is proving to be quite a hit at Lorient. After just one goal in his first 10 Ligue 1 Uber Eats appearances, the Nigerian has scored seven in his last eight. He also netted the winner against Paris FC in the Coupe de France in midweek, and his goals could be the difference between the Bretons making an immediate return to Ligue 2 and staying up this season.

THE STAT: 7

Ben Yedder’s tally of seven penalties this season is the most of any player in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues.

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