Kahlenberg shines as Auxerre climb
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Article summary
Marco Di Vaio scored on his AS Monaco FC debut but was upstaged by Thomas Kahlenberg who inspired AJ Auxerre to a 2-1 win which saw them jump to second.
Article body
Akalé chances
Although they were missing a number of players, including Benjani Mwaruwari who seems poised to leave the Burgundy outfit having been the target of a €6m bid from English club Portsmouth FC, Auxurre made all the early running at the Stade Abbé Deschamps. Ivory Coast forward Kanga Akalé was at the heart of his side's best attacks and had two fine opportunities to open the scoring from close range, only for visiting goalkeeper Guillaume Warmuz to frustrate him in the tenth and 26th minutes.
Di Vaio strike
The former Auxerre star Olivier Kapo lined up in attack for Monaco alongside Di Vaio, signed on loan from Valencia CF with a view to a €6m transfer at the end of the season. The Italian wasted little time in making his mark, controlling Jaroslav Plašil's perfect cross from the left on the half-hour and smartly chipping it over home goalkeeper Fabien Cool.
Gorgeous back-heel
The lead was only to last five minutes as Péguy Luyindula equalised with a shot from nine metres. The goal owed itself to the vision of Kahlenberg, whose gorgeous back-heel bamboozled the Monaco defence. It was the Danish international's sixth assist of the season - the most in Ligue 1 - although his main contribution was still to come as he fired in the decisive final goal in the 58th minute.
Tight league
While Auxerre climb four places and move to within 12 points of runaway leaders Olympique Lyonnais, Monaco stay in eighth spot - four points adrift of Auxerre.