ligue1-logo
Match Reports

Recap: Lille snatch vital win at Monaco to go third

In a match of two sides with European ambitions, Lille picked up a vital win, 1-0 away to AS Monaco, to go third in Ligue 1 McDonald's ahead of the final matchday.
E. DEVIN
Published on 05/10/2026 at 21:00
3-minute read
Berke Özer kept his league-leading thirteenth clean sheet as Lille moved into third place with a win

In a match of two sides with European ambitions, Lille picked up a vital win, 1-0 away to AS Monaco, to go third in Ligue 1 McDonald's ahead of the final matchday.

A battling first half

In their final home match of the Ligue 1 McDonald's season, it was high stakes football between AS Monaco and LOSC. The Principality side fielded a strong eleven, with Paul Pogba not risked from the off and captain Denis Zakaria dropping into defence, as he has frequently done in the season's second half. They would hardly have things their own way, though, as Les Dogues arrived with a strong eleven as well, and on a twelve-match unbeaten run in the league. In fourth ahead of kickoff, Lille would also be eager to win to keep their ranking in the Champions League places.

The start of the match was somewhat uneven, with the hosts looking to play on the counter with the pace of Maghnes Akliouche and Aleksandr Golovin on the flanks. On nine minutes, the Russian's cross found Folarin Balogun, but he was unable to get off a shot. The next chance would come on fifteen minutes, with Ayyoub Bouaddi found with a ball over the top, but his effort was stopped at the near post by Lukas Hradecky. Monaco's luck almost turn,ed though, as Matías Fernández-Pardo looked to win a penalty (17') but VAR waved it off. Akliouche then had a half-chance on the turn (27') but his effort was comfortably gathered by Berke Ozer. 

narrow margins

Monaco would keep the pressure on, winning a series of corner, but failed to generate any serious chances. That was, until Akliouche narrowly missed finding the top corner (40') after a good bit of pressing. After the break, with Nabil Bentaleb having come on for the visitors, Félix Correira had the first chance of the half for Lille, his rasping shot over the bar (48'). The match continued to surge and rush, but both sides looked to be showing more nerves than skill by the time it reached the hour, with a deflected effort by Thomas Meunier the only other chance of note.

Both managers made changes around the hour, with Ethan Mbappé and Ansu Fati both coming on, but it would be an own goal that would tell as Gaëtan Perrin, away on the counter, forced a deflection against Zakaria (74'), allowing Lille to provisionally leapfrog Lyon into third place. Monaco nearly snatched a point in the first minute of added time as first Balogun and then Mika Biereth missed opportunities inside the box. With the result, Lille moved a point ahead of Lyon, while Monaco slip to seventh, two points behind Marseille.

The stat: 13

Berke ¨Ozer recorded his thirteenth clean sheet in Ligue 1 McDonald's this season -- no other goalkeeper has more.

Read more:

>> Greenwood ends drought as OM edge Le Havre

>> Lens teenager scores vital goal to secure Champions League 

ligue1-logo
Squads overview