AS Monaco took another step towards European qualification with a 3-1 win over FC Lorient at the Stade Louis II in which Wissam Ben Yedder assisted two of their three goals.
THE MATCH
Monaco got off to a flying start, with Krépin Diatta forcing home a deflected Aleksandr Golovin cross with less than a quarter of an hour on the clock (14'). Kevin Volland was the next to try his luck after getting on the end of Caio Henrique's free-kick, but Vito Mannone pulled off a fine save (24'). Monaco didn't have to wait long for their second, though. Youssouf Fofana - back from suspension - won the ball back in the middle of the park and fed Ben Yedderm who in turn picked out Golovin in the box, and the Russian star did the rest, firing beyond Mannone for 2-0 (27'). Vanderson tried to pick Ben Yedder out soon after, but Bamo Meïté cleared the danger (32'). Monaco were only a goal-line clearance from carrying a 3-0 lead into the break, with Montassar Talbi doing excellently to deny Volland after Mannone had been beaten (35').
Late drama
Henrique picked out Axel Disasi at the start of the second half, and the centre-back crashed a header off the crossbar before being booked for a foul on Meïté (48'). Lorient had their first real chance of the game soon after when Bamba Dieng let fly, but Alexander Nubel was equal to it (53'). Monaco then pulled further clear when Ben Yedder laid the ball off to Volland, who thumped home (55'). The hosts might have added further gloss to the scoreline but Golovin overhit a pass intended for Volland (64') and it was Lorient who had the final say, Ibrahima Koné converting a penalty that Siriné Doucouré had earned from Guillermo Maripan (86').
THE PLAYER: Wissam Ben Yedder
Ben Yedder may not have been able to get his own name on the scoresheet on Sunday but he made sure that his teammates did. The only player ever to represent France at futsal and football, his experience in the former came to the fore here, his fast control and dogged determination making him impossible to dispossess in the Lorient box.
THE STAT: 30
Monaco boss Philippe Clement now has 30 wins from his first 50 games in charge of the principality side, which is the joint-best total of any Monaco manager ever, alongside Claude Puel, who managed the same in back in 2000.
RC Strasbourg Alsace 3-1 AC AJaccio
Elswhere, RC Strasbourg Alsace gave their survival hopes a shot in the arm with a 3-1 win over AC Ajaccio at the Stade de la Meinau.
Kévin Gameiro, Habin Diarra and Yuito Suzuki got the goals for le Racing, who are 17th, two points from safety.
Clermont Foot 63 2-1 Angers SCO
There was no such luck for basement club Angers SCO, who were beaten 2-1 at promoted Clermont Foot 63.
Adrien Hunou had given the visitors the lead but Clermont scored a pair of penalties through Grejohn Kyei and Muhammed Cham and held onto the points despite ending the game with nine men.
AJ Auxerre 2-1 FC Nantes
AJ Auxerre have pulled away from trouble in recent weeks and picked up their third win on the bounce in beating FC Nantes 2-1.
A Jubel penalty and Nuno da Costa strike were enough to drown out Mostafa Mohamed's strike for the visitors at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps.
Stade Brestois 29 1-0 OGC Nice
Stade Brestois 29 are also pulling away from danger and made it four games without defeat in beating OGC Nice 1-0. Jérémy Le Douaron got the only goal of the game at the Stade Francis-Le Blé.
