Monaco frustrated at Marseille
Friday, October 29, 2004
Article summary
AS Monaco FC have gone five Ligue 1 games without a win after a 1-1 draw at Olympique de Marseille.
Article body
By Chris Burke
AS Monaco FC continue to tread water in Ligue 1 as their highly charged match away to Olympique de Marseille ended 1-1 on Friday night.
Motivated Marseille
It is now five games since Didier Deschamps's side recorded a domestic win, and they never looked like ending that run against a motivated Marseille team playing in front of 58,000 spectators at the Stade Vélodrome. Spanish striker Koke was given the nod ahead of Péguy Luyindula by José Anigo, and he rewarded the Marseille boss’s confidence on 20 minutes, heading past Flavio Roma from a Fabrice Fiorèse cross.
Costa miss
Sébastien Squillaci headed in a corner to equalise just after the half hour, but the better chances fell to Marseille in the second half and Eduardo Costa could have won it when he fired centimetres wide with just three minutes left. A red card for French international defender Patrice Evra capped a frustrating night for the principality club, whose only reason to cheer was substitute Shabani Nonda’s first appearance this season after tearing a thigh muscle.
Monaco fourth
The result leaves fourth-placed Monaco and fifth-placed Marseille exactly where they were at the start of the day, meaning top-club Olympique Lyonnais can stretch their lead over Deschamps’ team to six points when they host RC Strasbourg tomorrow.
