TOPS
A very classy performance for the Rouen striker, even if he did not score. Hicham Benkaid weighed on the ASM defense as few scorers have managed to do this season. Often well placed, he won numerous duels, obtained interesting errors and above all served as a point of support. With attacks mainly based on the sides, his pivotal role in preparing openings towards his wingers was fundamental in this meeting. He often got out of the pressure of several Monegasque players thanks to delicious dribbles and never hesitated to go down a notch to participate in the recovery of the leather. It is he who obtains the free kick which leads to the equalizing goal (1-1, 45th 3rd).
The Rouen doorman was impassable. First at fault for having unbalanced Balogun on the penalty in the first half, Léonard Aggoune reversed the trend in the best possible way by following on. Whether in the air or on his line, the PSG-trained goalkeeper was unsinkable. He single-handedly kept FC Rouen in the match in the second half before becoming a club hero in the penalty shootout. By rejecting two Monegasque attempts, he allowed his team to continue to believe in it and then to win and take a Ligue 1 club out of this Coupe de France.
FLOPS
The Brazilian full-back has often tried but has only rarely succeeded. Positioned on the right flank of the Monegasque defense, he suffered the numerous Rouen offensives all directed towards his side. Too often going backwards in his duels, he was often overwhelmed and conceded many opportunities that he could have avoided. At the end of the match, he had an opportunity to kill the match with a well-executed counterattack. The Monegasques have a numerical superiority in the opposing area, but the Brazilian chooses to strike from an impossible angle rather than slip the ball to his teammates.
The Russian midfielder did not shine as much as expected. In the rain in Rouen, Golovin had a hard time warming up and igniting the ASM attacks. Well visible in the first half, he is often creating openings towards his scorer. But in the second act, he was absorbed by Rouen’s pressing, often with several players, to make him let go of the ball quickly and prevent him from distributing as he is used to. He also lacked percussion and at the end of the match where his team really needed it.
The Monegasque striker turned the evening around, both for good and bad. First scorer in the first period on a penalty that he went to get, Folarin Balogun made the opposing defense have a difficult half. But in the second act, his movements lacked precision such as his numerous headers or even a missed pass towards Akliouche alone in the area. With his penalty rejected in the penalty shootout, he condemned his team.