Monaco moved to the top of the Ligue 1 on Saturday after Sunday beating Rennes 2-1 to open the season, three points above PSG who are the defending champions. Thilo Kehrer and Folarin Balogun scored the goals which took Monaco to the 19 points mark. PSG sits on 16 points, and with a better goal difference, will have the opportunity to displace Monaco when they play Nice on Sunday.
The Monaco coach Adi Huetter was content with their start but pointed to the fact that there is much more to come. ‘That is the reality after seven games – we have 19 points, and it is a good thing,’ Huetter said. ‘But the championship is not a 100-meter race; it is 400 meters and we have started very well’.
The match which was played in rainy Brittany ended within initial half an hour of the game. Kehrer made it 1-0 within the first half an hour of the match with a header from a corner taken by Monaco’s youngster Eliesse Ben Seghir. Ludovic Blas then brought Rennes back on a level by scoring a breathtaking shot from thirty-five yards out which went straight past Philipp Koehn. But lap of Monaco continued and restored the lead when Ben Seghir tapped a defense-splitting pass to Balogun who delivered a cracking shot past Steve Mandanda.
Before this match, the hosts claimed fifth position as Lille came five places higher, after beating Toulouse 2-1 in the later game. Angel Gomes equalized for Lille in the 57th minute after visitors Zakaria Aboukhlal provided a shock early lead. Mitchel Bakker just put the final nail in the proverbial coffin with a composed finish from a counter-attack in the 72nd spot.
Elsewhere, goals from three and four in the match from Zuriko Davitashvili helped Saint-Etienne rise above the relegation zone with a 3-1 victory over Auxerre. Davitashvili scored twice before Theo Bair pulled a goal back to make it 2-1, then Davitashvili completed his hat trick in the final moments.
Sunday will see Lyon taking on Nantes, similarly, Reims plays Lens before PSG is to play an important match against Nice.
NEXT MORE
How to Watch Serie A in the US: Live Streams, TV Channels, and Fixture Schedule
How to Watch Bundesliga in the US: Live Streams, TV Channels, and Fixture Schedule
UEFA Cuts Ticket Prices for Away Fans in European Club Competitions
Real Madrid's 2024-25 Champions League Group Stage Schedule
Complete fixtures and results for the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League group stage
How to Watch Champions League in the US: Live Streams, TV Channels, and Fixture Schedule
