AS Monaco continued their stunning resurgence in Ligue 1 on Sunday, beating Olympique de Marseille 2-1 at the Stade Louis II to claim a seventh consecutive league victory and move firmly into the race for a UEFA Champions League spot.
Goals from Aleksandr Golovin and Folarin Balogun secured all three points for the principality side, whose unbeaten run in the league now stretches to ten matches. A late strike from Amine Gouiri gave Marseille a consolation, but it was not enough to spare them from consecutive league defeats for the first time this season.
A Cautious Opening Half Yields Few Chances
The first 45 minutes were tight and measured from both sides, with neither team willing to commit too early. Maghnes Akliouche came closest for Monaco with an acrobatic attempt, while goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky produced two sharp stops to deny Hamed Traore from a tight angle and block an Igor Paixao one-on-one chance.
At the other end, Geronimo Rulli had to be alert, rushing off his line to cut out a through ball before Akliouche could convert. Marseille, without the suspended Mason Greenwood, had enough to keep things level at the break, but Monaco regrouped and returned with considerably more intent after the interval.
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Golovin and Balogun Settle the Contest
Monaco took the lead just before the hour mark when Jordan Teze lifted a delivery into the penalty area and Golovin rose to poke a volley into the top corner. Marseille responded with determination, with captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg forcing a strong save from Hradecky and Quinten Timber testing him with a long-range effort that the Finnish goalkeeper again dealt with comfortably.
The second goal, however, put the result beyond doubt. A miscued clearance from Benjamin Pavard inadvertently played Balogun through on goal, and the American striker kept his composure to chip the ball over the onrushing Rulli and inside the far post from a narrow angle.
It was a finish that made Balogun the first Monaco player to score in six consecutive league matches since 2019. He has now found the net in eight of his last eight appearances for the club across all competitions, cementing his place as one of the most in-form strikers in France. Marseille did pull one back five minutes from time through Gouiri, but Hradecky denied Facundo Medina late on and Teze cleared an Aubameyang effort off the line to seal the win.
Champions League Race Heats Up
The result moves Monaco level on 49 points with fourth-placed Marseille, just one point behind third-placed Lille, who occupy the final automatic Champions League qualification spot. The turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable for a side that lost seven of eight league games earlier in the season, placing coach Sebastien Pocognoli under significant pressure.
“It’s a fantastic streak we’re on and I hope we can keep it going,” Hradecky said after the match. “We have the team, slowly we have no more injuries, and you start to see how much quality there is in the team.”Elsewhere on the same matchday, Lyon’s European hopes suffered another setback after a goalless draw at Angers left them sixth in the table and winless across nine matches in all competitions. With six games remaining, Monaco head into the final stretch of the season with momentum firmly behind them and a genuine shot at returning to the continent’s premier club competition.
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