Monaco surged to second place in the Ligue 1 standings with an impressive 3-1 win over Saint-Étienne at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, making it five consecutive victories for the Principality side.
Saint-Étienne entered the match deep in relegation trouble, sitting in the bottom two and trailing safety by a single point, hoping to spring a surprise against an in-form Monaco side.
With two consecutive home games unbeaten and Monaco boasting just one win in their last ten away fixtures, the hosts may have fancied their chances. However, their optimism was swiftly dampened when Monaco struck early.
A swift attacking move by the visitors ended with Maghnes Akliouche slotting in Caio Henrique’s low cross, handing Les Verts a tough task right from the outset.
Akliouche later came close to doubling Monaco’s lead, while Jordan Teze saw an effort saved with ease by Gautier Larsonneur.
Despite Monaco’s pressure, Larsonneur wasn’t often called into difficult action.
Saint-Étienne, on the other hand, had a golden chance to draw level through Irvin Cardona, whose clever chip just drifted wide of Philipp Kohn’s post.
Though trailing at half-time, the hosts showed flashes of threat, suggesting they could challenge Monaco’s lead after the interval.
Their persistence paid off. Following a missed header from close range by Monaco substitute Breel Embolo, Saint-Étienne struck back.
Zuriko Davitashvili squandered a promising break when he chose to shoot instead of squaring to the unmarked Ibrahima Wadji, but quickly made amends with a superb curling effort into the top corner from outside the box.
Monaco, however, were quick to reassert control. Just three minutes later, Al-Musrati marked his first Ligue 1 goal with a deflected strike that restored their advantage.
With 15 minutes remaining, Folarin Balogun wrapped things up for the visitors, calmly slotting home to secure the three points.
Despite Saint-Étienne’s late attempts to salvage the game, they couldn’t find a way back and remain a point away from the relegation play-off place, and three from full safety.
For Monaco, the result sees them reclaim a spot in the top three, re-entering the UEFA Champions League qualification race with their
