Myron Boadu scored five minutes from time as AS Monaco came back to hold FC Nantes to a 3-3 draw at the Stade de la Beaujoire, keeping the principality side top overnight.
THE MATCH
Monaco bounced into their meeting with two wins from two having previously beaten Clermont Foot 63 and RC Strasbourg Alsace, but they fell behind here after the opening five minutes here. Denis Zakaria felled Moses Simon in the box and Mostafa Mohamed sent Philipp Kohn the wrong way from the resulting spot kick (5'). Caio Henrique curled a free-kick wide at the other end (8') but Nantes were soon two goals clear with Jean-Charles Castelletto rising highest to head Kader Bamba's corner home (15'). Monaco pulled one back midway through the half when Takumi Minamino connected with a rare, right-footed cross from Caio (27') and the visitors were pushing for an equaliser when Jérémie Pignard's whistle for half-time went, with Wissam Ben Yedder shooting straight at Rémy Descamps (30') before Wilfried Singo fired narrowly high of the far top corner from long range (39').
Boadu impact
And yet the second half was only three minutes old when Mostafa grabbed his second and Nantes' third. Quentin Merlin got free down the left and drilled in a low cross to the back post, and the unmarked Egyptian was left with a simple finish for 3-1 (48'). Bamba then shaved the outside of the post with a first-time shot (57') as Monaco held on. But after weathering that storm Monaco ended the game the better side and pulled another one back when Youssouf Fofana's shot deflected back out to Ben Yedder (59'). Minamino hit the near post with a left-footed effort (74') before Descamps held his ground to deny Fofana, almost on his line (74'), but there was to be no stopping the equaliser, with late substitute Boadu finishing first time after Fofana's shot had bounced off the bar and into his path (85').
Minamino was once again at the heart of everything good Monaco did on Friday evening. The Japanese struggled to settle at first following his transfer from Liverpool last summer, but looks like a player reborn so far in 2023/24 with five goal-involvements from his first three games this season.
THE STAT: 8
All eight of Boadu's Ligue 1 Uber Eats goals so far have been scored away from home. The Dutchman is now the player with the most away goals without having scored at home in Ligue 1 Uber Eats over the last 75 years.
