AS Monaco and Stade Rennais lead the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table after both teams recorded their second wins of the new French season on Sunday.
THE MATCH
Monaco played host to an FC Nantes side that had — like their hosts — started with a draw and a win from their opening two outings of the 2020/21 campaign, but it was the principality side that quickly seized the initiative against their fellow eight-time French champions.
A miscued header from Charles Traoré fell to Gelson Martins, who bided his time before finding Ruben Aguilar — the right-back squeezed a pass across the penalty area where Sofiane Diop powerfully curled home the first top-flight goal of his career just five minutes in.
Benoît Badiashile, who had scored in the opening day draw with Reims and been the matchwinner against FC Metz in Round 2, volleyed against the crossbar as Monaco — with coach Niko Kovac on the bench following his COVID-19 self-isolation period — threatened to double their advantage.
They would have been pegged back but for VAR spotting Randal Kolo Muani being fractionally offside before he clipped what he thought was the equaliser over Monaco goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki, who was making his debut in place of coronavirus victim Benjamin Lecomte.
Monaco's biggest signing of the summer so far, Kevin Volland, connected with a delightful Cesc Fabregas ball only to see Alban Lafont turn his volley wide before Moses Simon should have levelled for the visitors — the Nigeria international fired over from close range, however, just a minute before the break.
Monaco had lost just one of their last 13 league meetings with Les Canaris, and pressed hard for a second goal after the interval in a bid to extend that record. Captain Wissam ben Yedder smashed a shot off a post as the hosts threatened to give themselves breathing space only for Ludovic Blas to acrobatically fire home an equaliser out of the blue (62').
The home response did not take long in coming. Just three minutes later, Willem Geubbels, who has endured an injury-plagued two years in the principality since his move from Olympique Lyonnais, seized onto a beautifully weighted pass from another substitute, Henry Onyekuru, to also net his maiden top-flight goal (65').
THE PLAYER: Cesc Fabregas
With Aurélien Tchouamèni and Diop doing his running for him, the 33-year-old double-EURO and former World Cup winner ran the game. His passing was of a rare quality, and he would have had a goal but for a Lafont save and a last-ditch challenge.
THE STAT: 7
Monaco have now won their last seven home games against Nantes.
Elsewhere, summer signing Serhou Guirassy scored twice and another new arrival Nayef Aguerd also found the net as Rennes won 4-2 at Nîmes.
The hosts had beaten Stade Brestois 29 4-0 on the opening day of the season but found Julien Stéphan's UEFA Champions League group stage participants a much tougher proposition.
Nîmes did manage to cancel out Guirassy's brace, twice coming from behind thanks to Andres Cubas and Zinedine Ferhat, but Aguerd touched home a Benjamin Bourigeaud free-kick to put Rennes back in front 18 minutes from time with Bourigeaud himself adding a late fourth.
Rennes now lead the table on goal difference from Monaco, who themselves are in front of LOSC Lille — 1-0 victors over FC Metz earlier in the day — on goals scored.
Stéphane Bahoken's strike was enough for Angers SCO to beat Stade de Reims, though both sides finished with ten men following red cards for Romain Thomas and Wout Faes.
Reims are yet to win this season as are Dijon FCO beaten 2-0 at home by Brest, who recorded their maiden points of the campaign thanks to goals from Romain Perraud and Irvin Cardona.
Lens followed up their shock defeat of PSG with victory at the side that came up with them from Ligue 2, FC Lorient. The hosts went in front through Adrian Grbic, but Gaël Kakuta and Facundo Medina scored in quick succession to put Lens ahead and Ignatius Ganago — the goalscoring hero against PSG — netted a third just after the hour mark before Yoane Wissa's late penalty reduced the deficit.
>> MATCH REPORT: Luiz Araujo goal gives Lille win against Metz