Both teams huffed and puffed but it was Marseille who eventually blew Monaco’s house down yesterday with a stunning goal from Mason Greenwood to take all three points and keep pace with PSG and Lens in a Ligue 1 title race that seems to get more interesting with every gameweek. Marseille dominated the game for the most part but Monaco also had huge opportunities and two goals disallowed, in the end, Marseille’s superior firepower prevailed.
Timothy Weah and goalscorer Mason Greenwood started on the left and right respectively in Marseille’s 4231, with veteran striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up top and Arthur Vermeeren in the number 10 position. Monaco also used a 4231, Aleskandr Golovin and Magnus Akliouche were on the left and right flanks with Takumi Minamino in attacking midfield and USMNT international Folarin Balogun up top.
From minute 1, the match at the Orange Vélodrome began at a frantic pace, setting the tone for what would become a tense and dramatic encounter. Marseille, buoyed by the home crowd, wasted no time in asserting their attacking intent. Just four minutes into the game, Mason Greenwood tested the waters with a strong effort, forcing Monaco goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky into an early, solid save to keep the scores level.
The hosts continued to apply pressure, and in the 6th minute, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang attempted a tentative lob that Hradecky managed to keep out. The danger wasn’t over, as the subsequent phase saw Amir Murillo fire a shot on the rebound, but his effort drifted wide of the goal, letting the visitors off the hook.
Monaco responded instantly to this early onslaught. In the 7th minute, Aleksandr Golovin found space for a quickfire shot, but it drifted slightly to the left of the post, signaling that the visitors were ready to trade blows. The game flowed back and forth, and in the 14th minute, Lamine Camara—fresh off his AFCON call-up for Senegal—attempted a spectacular acrobatic shot for Monaco, though he failed to find the target.
Marseille dominated possession between the 15th and 26th minutes but struggled to find a cutting edge. Greenwood found himself in promising positions twice during this spell, yet he lacked precision with his finishing and failed to test the keeper significantly. In the 20th minute, Timothy Weah drove forward for the hosts and unleashed a strike, but Hradecky was once again equal to the task, denying him with another save.
As the half progressed, Monaco began to carve out their own dangerous openings. In the 29th minute, they came agonizingly close to the opener when Maghnes Akliouche played a superb pass to Golovin. The midfielder looked certain to score, but his effort missed the mark by inches, a huge let-off for Marseille. The physical battle intensified as the stakes rose, leading to the first booking of the match in the 40th minute when Marseille’s Geoffrey Kondogbia received a yellow card for a foul.
Monaco ended the first half strongly, creating a flurry of chances that forced Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli into action. In the 42nd minute, Takumi Minamino connected with a beautiful volley, but Rulli produced a sharp save to push it away. Just a minute later, a massive chance fell to Folarin Balogun, who shot from point-blank range, only for Rulli to make a crucial block and deny the American striker. Marseille briefly countered through Emerson Palmieri in the 44th minute, but his attempt was saved by Hradecky. On the stroke of halftime, Golovin curled a dangerous effort towards goal, but Rulli was there again to make the save, ensuring the teams went into the break deadlocked at 0–0.
The second half began with tactical adjustments from Roberto De Zerbi, who made a halftime change by replacing the booked Kondogbia with Matt O’Riley. However, it was Monaco who almost capitalized on a mistake immediately after the restart. In the 46th minute, a misplaced pass gifted Minamino a chance, but he nearly opened the scoring, sparing Marseille’s blushes.
Controversy erupted in the 51st minute when Lamine Camara unleashed a superb half-volley that flew into the net. Monaco celebrated what they thought was the opening goal, but it was ruled out for a controversial offside decision against Balogun in the build-up. Marseille responded to this scare, and in the 56th minute, they looked certain to score, but Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer made a vital clearance to keep the game scoreless.
De Zerbi continued to shuffle his pack, replacing Amir Murillo and Benjamin Pavard with Igor Paixão and Leonardo Balerdi in the 58th minute. The tension continued to rise, with Monaco’s Vanderson picking up a booking for a foul in the 64th minute. Marseille tried to regain control, but tentative efforts from Timothy Weah and Arthur Vermeeren in the 66th minute failed to trouble the keeper.
Mason Greenwood began to take over proceedings between the 68th and 71st minutes. First, his powerful curling shot was blocked by Thilo Kehrer, who also denied Weah moments later. Then, in the 71st minute, Greenwood fired a low drive that Hradecky saved. Despite this pressure, Monaco remained dangerous on the break. In the 74th minute, they launched a counter-attack that saw Minamino race through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, Rulli won the duel, making a massive save to keep Marseille in the game.
Heartbreak struck Monaco again in the 80th minute. Balogun raced onto a through ball from Akliouche and finished with a subtle chip over Rulli, but VAR intervened once more, disallowing the goal for offside.
Just two minutes after surviving that scare, Marseille struck the decisive blow. In the 82nd minute, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg cut the ball back from the left, finding Mason Greenwood. The English forward took a touch and rifled a finish into the roof of the net to break the deadlock and send the Vélodrome into raptures.
Both sides made late changes, with Darryl Bakola replacing Aubameyang for Marseille, while Monaco brought on fresh attackers George Ilenikhena and Mika Biereth. Monaco pushed desperately for an equalizer in the dying moments. In the 87th minute, Thilo Kehrer rose to meet a cross with a header, but it was deflected or saved by Rulli.
The drama culminated in stoppage time with incredible scenes. Substitute George Ilenikhena saw his shot parried by Rulli in the 94th minute. The rebound fell to Mika Biereth, who had the goal at his mercy, but his shot was blocked on the line by a heroic challenge from Nayef Aguerd, securing the win for Marseille. The final whistle confirmed a 1–0 victory, leaving Marseille to celebrate three vital points while Monaco were left to rue missed chances and disallowed goals
