Thomas Lemar's encouraging display steers Atletico Madrid to victory against Monaco

Aditya Devavrat 02:10 29/11/2018
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  • Thomas Lemar put in a solid display against former side Monaco.

    Thomas Lemar came up against his old side Monaco on Wednesday night in the Champions League, a fixture that gave him a chance to show his summer move to Atletico Madrid was the right decision.

    The France winger has taken longer than expected to settle in the Spanish capital. He’s looked good on occasion, but one goal and two assists in 17 appearances means he hasn’t quite dazzled the Atleti faithful.

    Here’s a look at how Lemar got on in their 2-0 win.

    KEY STATS

    Goals – 0

    Assists – 0

    Shots – 1

    Shots on target – 0

    Dribbles – 2

    Key Passes – 0

    30-SECOND REPORT

    Starting on the left of a 4-4-2, Lemar showed flashes of his best during his hour on the pitch. He was involved in Atletico’s opener without touching the ball, creating space with his run that allowed Koke the space to shoot from range.

    Lemar came close to scoring himself, hitting the outside of the post with a well-struck free-kick. His work rate also remained excellent throughout, with one instance of tracking back earning particular praise from head coach Diego Simeone.

    GOT RIGHT

    Movement

    Lemar’s involvement in the Atletico opener may go unnoticed, but it was crucial. His run across the defence from the right wing pulled two defenders with him, leaving Koke free to shoot and score, via a deflection. That sort of movement makes a player like Lemar lethal.

    Passing

    The zero key passes in Lemar’s stat column on Wednesday is misleading. His passing was incisive, as he linked up well with Antoine Griezmann and Angel Correa, setting both up in dangerous positions.

    GOT WRONG

    A familiar failing with Lemar cropped up again on Wednesday. Lemar has a tendency to drift out of games, and that was the case again as for all his good work on the ball – and off it – there were times, especially as Monaco improved after half-time, where Lemar was nowhere to be seen.

    He had fewer touches than all bar two of the outfield players who started for Atletico, and one of those was Koke, who went off at half-time.

    VERDICT 

    Lemar has started to look a little more consistent in Atletico colours and this was another encouraging display from the French winger. Though he wasn’t at his dazzling best, the level that he often hit for Monaco, Lemar was a thorn in the side of his former team whenever he was on the ball.

    Simeone will have noted his contribution to the first goal, as well as Lemar’s overall work rate. Hopefully, the 23-year-old continues to build on this performance.

    RATING – 7/10

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