Monaco Champions League Return:Wissam Ben Yedder led the charge for Monaco as they defeated Ligue 1 strugglers Clermont 4-1 on Saturday. The win puts them in a strong position to return to the Champions League after a multi-year absence.
Monaco, playing at their Louis II Stadium, bounced back from a disappointing loss to Lyon last week. The victory solidifies their second-place position in the league with only two games remaining in the season. Paris Saint-Germain, already crowned champions, are enjoying a break from domestic competition.
The battle for the remaining Champions League spots is heating up. While Monaco currently sits comfortably in second with 61 points, Brest trails closely behind with 57. Lille and Nice are also in the running with 55 and 51 points respectively.
Lille has a chance to overtake Brest for third place when they face Lyon on Monday. A win for Lille would shake up the qualification race even further.
Meanwhile, Monaco’s win piles on the misery for Clermont. The basement dwellers are almost guaranteed relegation back to Ligue 2.
The home side got off to a flying start thanks to a blunder by Clermont’s Maximiliano Caufriez. Takumi Minamino capitalized on the poor clearance, curling a beautiful shot into the top corner for his eighth goal of the season.
Clermont refused to go down without a fight. Muhammed Cham equalized for the visitors in the 34th minute, raising hopes for an upset. However, those hopes were dashed just three minutes later.
Monaco captain Ben Yedder orchestrated the comeback, setting up Breel Embolo for his first goal of the season. This marked a significant moment for Embolo, who was making his first start after recovering from a serious knee injury.
Ben Yedder wasn’t done there. He put the game to bed with two goals of his own, taking his tally for the night to two and his overall club goal count to 117.