AS Monaco bolstered their bid for a UEFA Champions League spot with a crucial 2-1 triumph over direct rivals Olympique de Marseille, extending their Ligue 1 winning streak to seven games.
Even with Usain Bolt making a ceremonial appearance just before kickoff, the match began at a sluggish pace.
Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche came close to breaking the deadlock with an acrobatic attempt, while Marseille’s Hamed Traorè saw his shot denied by Lukas Hradecky in a tense one-on-one. Gerónimo Rulli also had to rush off his line to block Akliouche from converting Thilo Kehrer’s long ball.
Another critical stop from Hradecky thwarted Igor Paixao’s chance, keeping the scoreline goalless at halftime.
The break gave Monaco a chance to regroup, and they returned with increased intensity. Their pressure paid off just before the hour mark when Jordan Teze delivered a precise ball into the box, allowing Aleksandr Golovin to volley it beautifully into the top corner.
Marseille pushed for a response, spearheaded by captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but his powerful strike was comfortably denied by Hradecky.
Monaco, meanwhile, remained disciplined, playing on the counter and relying on their goalkeeper to fend off Quinten Timber’s long-range effort.
Their patience bore fruit when Benjamin Pavard misjudged a clearance, setting up Folarin Balogun to cleverly lift the ball over Rulli from a tight angle, marking his sixth consecutive league match with a goal—the first Monaco player to achieve that since 2019.
Marseille did reduce the deficit in the closing minutes through Amine Gouiri, who slotted under Hradecky after weaving through multiple defenders, but it wasn’t enough to halt Monaco’s momentum.
The victory leaves Monaco level on 49 points with Marseille, just a single point behind Lille in the battle for the final automatic Champions League spot.
