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Fabregas smooth in debut as Monaco battle to Marseille draw
MARSEILLE, Jan 14, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Cesc Fabregas got off to a positive
start in his debut for struggling Ligue 1 side Monaco after his side gained a
hard-fought 1-1 draw with Marseille at a tumultuous Stade Velodrome on
Sunday.
Fabregas, who joined the Principality club from Chelsea on Friday, struck
a composed figured in the midfield as Thierry Henry’s side recovered from a
shaky start to earn a point thanks to Youri Tielemans’ leveller six minutes
before the break.
The World Cup winner almost laid on a winner for Tielemans in added time
with a trademark clipped pass but the Belgium international hesitated on the
ball and ended up shooting a presentable opportunity to snatch a rare victory
well wide.
Fabregas’ arrival on the Mediterranean coast on Friday was the third in
January after veteran defender Naldo and France under-21 left-back Fode
Ballo-Toure, who both acquitted themselves well on Sunday.
The draw was a good result for a team without a fit striker and not enough
available players to even fill the substitutes’ bench.
They remain in the relegation zone despite the positive performance and
are four points from safety after winning just twice in 10 league games since
Henry’s arrival in October.
However they have been slightly helped in the quest for survival by Paris
Saint-Germain battering fourth-from-bottom Amiens 3-0 on Saturday and Caen in
16th losing 3-1 at home to Lille.
– Marseille protests –
Hosts Marseille began the match amid protests from fans about their own
poor form which sees them down in ninth, 22 points behind runaway leaders
PSG.
Rudi Garcia’s side are winless in eight in all competitions and as well as
being well back in the league are out of all three cups after being
humiliated 2-0 by fourth-tier Andrezieux in the French Cup last week.
They were eliminated from the League Cup last month by Strasbourg and
finished an embarrassing Europa League group stage with just one point.
Fans head up a banner that read “owners, coach, players… all culpable”
and barely celebrated Maxime Lopez’s 13th minute opener, which squeezed under
a poor effort to save the shot from Diego Benaglio.
Midway through the second half they shouted “ole” when Monaco kept
possession and whistled their own players when they won the ball back.
When Thuavin netted what he thought was the winner 20 minutes from the end
he remonstrated with supporters behind the goal who refused to cheer, drawing
loud boos that were only beaten in volume when referee Mikael Lesage ruled
the goal out for a foul from Lucas Ocampos on Benaglio.
Earlier on Sunday Montpellier slipped further back from the Champions
League places with a 1-1 draw at third-from-bottom Dijon, while Strasbourg
continued their claim for a European place with a 2-1 win at Toulouse.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1130HRS