Pre-season friendlies usually go one of two ways. They’re either a chaotic 5-4 goal-fest where nobody bothers to defend, or they’re a tactical chess match that leaves everyone a bit cold. The Nottingham Forest F.C. vs AS Monaco FC clash on July 19, 2025, definitely leaned toward the latter. It was 0-0. Boring? Maybe on paper. But for the 10,000 or so fans huddled at the SMH Group Stadium in Chesterfield, it was a weirdly fascinating look at two teams heading in very different directions.
Rain-soaked Derbyshire isn't exactly Monte Carlo. Honestly, seeing the glitz of Monaco up against the grit of Forest in a League Two stadium is why pre-season is great. You've got Morgan Gibbs-White trying to pick locks in the pouring rain while Breel Embolo looks like he’d rather be literally anywhere else. It’s football at its most raw.
What Happened During Nottingham Forest F.C. vs AS Monaco FC?
The match kicked off with Forest looking surprisingly sharp. They were suffocating the French side early on. Gibbs-White almost opened the scoring in the third minute with a header that forced a big save from Philipp Köhn. You could tell Nuno Espírito Santo had drilled them to press high. Monaco looked rattled. They couldn't get out of their own half for the first fifteen minutes.
Then the tide turned.
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Monaco eventually found their rhythm. Aleksandr Golovin started pulling the strings in midfield. By the 25th minute, the possession stats were starting to skew heavily toward the visitors. Matz Sels had to be alert, especially when Saïmon Bouabré let fly with a stinging effort. It was a classic "game of two halves" vibe, even within the first forty-five minutes.
The Tactical Breakdown
- Forest’s High Press: Nuno clearly wanted to test the fitness of his front four. Hudson-Odoi and Jota Silva were relentlessly chasing down the Monaco backline.
- Monaco’s Possession: Adi Hütter’s side kept 65% of the ball. They played like a Champions League team, even if the finishing was slightly off.
- The Goalkeeper Duel: Both Matz Sels and Carlos Miguel (who came on later) were massive. Sels made a huge save from an Embolo header early in the second half.
Why This Specific Matchup Matters
Most people think of these friendlies as meaningless. They aren't. For Forest, this was about proving they could hang with European royalty after a solid 2024-25 Premier League season where they finished seventh. Finishing that high was a massive achievement. It gave them a taste of what it’s like to be "best of the rest" in England.
Monaco, meanwhile, were coming off a season where they re-established themselves as PSG’s biggest threat. They had just beaten PSG in a narrow, gritty win a few months prior. So, when Nottingham Forest F.C. vs AS Monaco FC was announced, it wasn't just a warm-up. It was a benchmark.
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Standout Performers and Near Misses
Jimmy Sinclair almost became the hero of the afternoon. He fired a right-footed shot in the 63rd minute that had the keeper beaten, but it rattled the post. So close. For Monaco, Akliouche was the danger man. Every time he got the ball, the Forest defenders looked a bit panicked. He’s got that "glide" that only elite players seem to have.
Interestingly, Forest changed their entire XI for the second half. It’s a common pre-season move, but it totally killed the momentum of the game. We went from a fairly high-tempo contest to a bit of a slog. But hey, that's what you get when you need to give 22 players some minutes.
The Historic Context (Or Lack Thereof)
Believe it or not, these two don't have a long history. They’ve mostly avoided each other in European competitions over the decades. This makes the Nottingham Forest F.C. vs AS Monaco FC H2H record pretty slim. Before this 2025 meeting, there wasn't much to talk about. This friendly was essentially the first real test between the modern versions of these clubs.
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There was a youth game in December 2024—the Premier League International Cup—where Forest’s U21s actually beat Monaco’s second team 3-1. Maybe that gave the senior Forest squad a bit of extra confidence? Who knows. But it’s cool to see the "Tricky Trees" holding their own against a global brand like Monaco.
What Fans Should Take Away
If you're a Forest fan, you should be happy with the defensive solidity. Keeping a clean sheet against a front line featuring Embolo and Minamino is no joke. The team looked organized. If you're a Monaco fan, the lack of goals is a bit annoying given the 65% possession and 12 corners, but the build-up play was sublime.
Basically, the 0-0 draw was a fair reflection of a game where neither side wanted to lose more than they wanted to win. It was about fitness, rhythm, and not getting injured in the Derbyshire rain.
Actionable Insights for the Future:
- Watch the Youth: Keep an eye on the Forest academy. Their 3-1 win over Monaco II suggests the next generation is ready to step up.
- Tactical Flexibility: Forest are moving away from being just a counter-attacking team. Their ability to press a team like Monaco shows Nuno is evolving.
- Transfer Watch: Games like this often act as "shop windows." If a player like Akliouche shines against English opposition, don't be surprised to see Premier League scouts circling within months.
The 2025-26 season looks bright for both. Forest are no longer just survivors; they are competitors. And Monaco? They remain the gold standard for stylish, possession-based football in France. Just maybe bring an umbrella next time they play in Chesterfield.