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Monaco are still looking for their first home win of the season after they were held to a goalless draw by local rivals Nice on Saturday.
A crowd of 16,000 turned up at the Stade Louis II for Jean Petit’s first home match in charge following Didier Deschamps’ resignation. The unusually large attendance at the Stade Louis II was not a vote of confidence for Petit, however, as more than two thirds of the fans were following the away team.
The game started at a fast pace and Nice, who came from three down to win the equivalent fixture 4-3 last season, were soon in the ascendancy.
Bakary Koné shot wide when well placed on 16 minutes, before, moments later, Olivier Echouafni had his tame volley saved by Guillaume Warmuz. The former Lens goalkeeper was in the thick of the action again on 20 minutes, getting down low to save from Florent Balmont.
The game threatened to boil over when Maicon refused to put the ball into touch after Akis Zikos had injured Sébastien Roudet with a hard tackle.
But Monaco, who have had four players sent off in their last two matches, managed to keep their cool. They even carved out a chance of their own on 32 minutes as Olivier Kapo’s free kick flew narrowly wide. Damien Grégorini then denied Lucas Bernardi at the end of Monaco’s first flowing move of the game.
Nice were solid in defence, however, and they thoroughly deserved their point. The closest Monaco came to breaking the deadlock was in the 59th minute, but Emmanuel Adebayor’s powerful header was brilliantly saved by Grégorini. The Togolese striker then squandered a good chance two minutes later.
Koné was Nice’s biggest attacking threat but the Ivory Coast man directed two shots wide of Warmuz’s goal in the last 10 minutes, before Monaco missed the game’s final opening, Grégorini saving Maicon’s shot in the dying seconds.
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