- Monaco thrashed Metz 5-2 on Saturday to move to second place on the Ligue 1 table
- Monaco are currently 10 points behind league leaders Paris Saint-German (PSG), who will be travelling to Marseille later today
In the French league, Monaco thumped Metz 5-2 during the Metz vs Monaco clash to move to second place on the table.
Monaco scored quick goals to lead 3-0 inside sixteen minutes. Folarin Balogun then added his side’s fourth in the 76th minute before Pape Diallo got a consolation for Metz two minutes later. Ibou Sane scored another goal for the hosts but their hopes of pulling a comeback were quickly extinguished by Balogun’s 87th minute strike.
Metz vs Monaco. Photo/ France 24.
Monaco are currently 10 points behind league leaders Paris Saint-German (PSG), who will be travelling to Marseille later today (Sunday). The win strengths their hopes hopes of finishing in the top four as they are currently five points away from fifth spot which is occupied by Nice with 43 points. In between is Brest (47) and Lille (46). Brest have a game in hand and can reclaim the second spot if they beat Lorient today.
Metz Vs Monaco
Monaco travelled to Metz with the aim of winning the clash against the relegation-threatened side. They started the game at a very high pace as it took them just five minutes before going in front.
Former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino was just at the right place to meet Eliesse Ben Seghir’s cross into the box and finished brilliantly to record his seventh goal of the season. Shortly after the restart, Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche won the ball in the midfield and drove through the heart of Metz’s defence before finishing with ease.
Things got from bad to worse for Metz in the 16th minute when Brazilian defender Vanderson scored Monaco’s third goal of the evening. Vanderson volleyed the ball into the back of the net after receiving the ball from Aleksandr Golovin.
It became uglier for Metz in the 76th minute when goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja’s back-heel pass struck the foot of Balogun and went straight in to increase Monaco’s lead to 4-0. However, the hosts somehow kept hopes alive by scoring two quick goals through Pape Diallo and Ibou Sane.
Their effort of trying to pull a comeback were extinguished towards the end of the match by Balogun who became the first USMNT player to score twice as a substitute in Europe’s top five leagues since Charlie Davies in 2009.
Former Arsenal player Folarin Balogun scored a brace as Monaco beat Metz 5-2 on Saturday. Photo/ ESPN.
Lyon Fight For Draw Against Reims
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Lyon were held to a 1-1 draw by a fellow European qualification candidates Reims at home. The hosts started the game in the best way they could by controlling the proceedings but failed to take their chances, with Alexandre Lacazette missing a big opportunity.
Reims reached Lyon’s goal for the first time in the 15th minute but Anthony Lopes did well to stop Oumar Diakite from finding the opener. Both sides wasted good chances in the first half before Kenyan defender Joseph Okumu gave the visitors the lead.
Okumu, who was part of Kenya’s team that won the four-nations title a few days ago, slammed home the rebound after Lopes failed to properly clear Yunis Abdelhamid’s powerful header.
However, Reims’ lead only lasted ten minutes as Lyon found their way back into the match through Ghana’s Ernest Nuamah. The 20-year-old was unmarked in the box when Said Benrahma’s cross found him in the box. There was little action from there as both sides opted to settle for the draw.
Reims are ninth on the standings with 39 points and are followed by Lyon who have 35 points.
There will be more Ligue 1 action later today with six fixtures scheduled to take place. Below are today’s Ligue 1 fixtures:
- Lorient vs Brest
- Clermont vs Toulouse
- Le Havre vs Montpellier
- Nice vs Nantes
- Strasbourg vs Rennes
- Marseille vs PSG
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