Folarin Balogun had a night to forget on his first start for Monaco, missing two penalties as his side were beaten 1-0 at home by Nice. The 22-year-old arrived at Monaco from Arsenal in August for an initial fee of £25.7m after a sparkling season on loan in Ligue 1 with Reims last season.
Folarin Balogun Misses Two Penalties on Monaco Debut
Balogun scored 21 goals in just 37 league games for Reims and earned himself a permanent move to Monaco, signing a five-year contract. He has already opened his account for his new club, scoring after coming off the bench in a 2-2 draw with Lorient, but on his first start for Monaco, things did not go so well.
The United States international missed a spot-kick after just 12 minutes and did the same after 56, with goalkeeper Marcin Bulka saving both efforts. Balogun’s night was ended when he was taken off after 67 minutes, replaced by Wassim Ben Yedder, but things got worse for him as his misses were punished late on.
Former Chelsea Man Punishes Balogun’s Misses
Former Chelsea man Jeremie Boga came off the bench to score the only goal of the game for Nice in stoppage time, moving them ahead of Monaco and to the top of the Ligue 1 table. The young forward will hope to get a chance to make amends when Monaco next play at home to Marseille on 30 September, when he will try and win the fans over after a disastrous night.
Balogun Hopes to Make Amends Against Marseille
Balogun will be hoping to put this nightmare behind him and prove why Monaco paid such a hefty fee for him. He has already shown glimpses of his potential since joining the club, but this performance will have been a huge setback for the young forward.
He will be looking to make amends against Marseille and prove that he can be the star striker Monaco need him to be. With the likes of Ben Yedder and Wissam Ben Yedder also in the squad, Balogun will have to work hard to earn his place in the starting lineup.
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