The French top flight saw some serious movement on Saturday, with Monaco pulling off a dramatic win. They snatched three points away at Auxerre, beating them 2-1. This big victory puts Monaco right up there with Lyon and the reigning champions, Paris Saint-Germain. Those two teams still have their games to play this weekend, so the top of the table is looking tight.
The match at Auxerre was a real nail-biter. Just before halftime, Monaco’s Japanese star, Minamino, found the back of the net. He gave the Monegasques a 1-0 lead at the 45+2 minute mark. But the home team fought back. In the 73rd minute, Auxerre’s Salisu unfortunately scored an own goal, leveling the score. Things got even tougher for Auxerre when Casimir was sent off earlier in the game. With the clock ticking down and the score tied, it looked like a draw might be on the cards.
Then, at 89 minutes, a young player stepped up. The 19-year-old Ilenikhena scored the winning goal for Monaco. This late strike secured the 2-1 victory for the club from the Principality. Monaco now has nine points. They sit alongside the champions, who will play Lens on Sunday. Paulo Fonseca’s Lyon team also has nine points and will visit Rennes. This weekend’s results could really shake up the league’s top spots.
Earlier in the day, Nice grabbed a 1-0 home win against Nantes. Jeremie Boga netted the only goal of that game in the 56th minute. This match was notable for a couple of reasons. Portuguese player Tiago Gouveia made his debut for Nice. On the other side, Nantes is coached by Portuguese manager LuÃs Castro. Their starting eleven even featured the Portuguese international goalkeeper, Anthony Lopes.
Nice’s win temporarily places them in ninth position in Ligue 1 with six points. For LuÃs Castro’s Nantes, it was a tougher day. This loss marked their third defeat of the season. They currently sit in 14th place with three points. The early stages of the French League are certainly proving to be full of excitement and unexpected turns.
