Monaco moved to the top of the Ligue 1 standings with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Rennes on Saturday. U.S. striker Folarin Balogun scored his third consecutive goal in the 22nd minute, but the victory came at a cost as he was forced off the field just after the hour mark with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. It remains unclear if he’ll be able to join the U.S. national team for their upcoming matches against Panama and Mexico.
Despite facing a challenging second half, Monaco held onto their lead to solidify their position at the top of the table. Paris Saint-Germain, currently three points behind, has the opportunity to close the gap when they play Nice on Sunday. Thilo Kehrer put Monaco ahead early in the sixth minute, but Rennes equalized just five minutes later through Ludovic Blas. Balogun’s winning goal was a skillful display, as he received a low pass from Eliesse Ben Seghir on the edge of the box, quickly turned, accelerated past his marker, and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Blas’ goal was equally impressive, a powerful 25-meter strike that left Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Köhn with no chance.
Meanwhile, Zuriko Davitashvili’s hat-trick spearheaded Saint-Etienne’s second win of the season, a 3-1 victory over Auxerre. Davitashvili, who joined Saint-Etienne from Bordeaux this summer, had previously delivered two assists but failed to find the back of the net in his first six appearances. This impressive performance moved Saint-Etienne to 12th place in the standings, one point above Auxerre.
The Georgian international opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a powerful shot that capped off a flowing team move involving Léo Pé trot and Mathis Amougou. He added his second goal after halftime and hit the post before Canadian forward Thelonius Blair pulled one back for Auxerre with his first goal of the season. Davitashvili completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute with a cool chip over the goalkeeper, becoming only the second Georgian player to achieve this feat in one of Europe’s top five leagues this century. The other was Alexander Iashvili for Freiburg against Wolfsburg in 2003.
“It was a very incredible day,” Davitashvili said after the match. He was a key player for the Georgia national team that reached the last 16 of the European Championship this summer, including a notable 2-0 upset victory over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. His contract with Saint-Etienne extends until 2028, with an optional extra year.
In other Ligue 1 action, Lille, fresh off their historic Champions League victory against Real Madrid, continued their strong run with a 2-1 win over Toulouse. Lille struggled in the first half, and Toulouse deservedly took the lead in the 39th minute when Zakaria Aboukhlal’s angled shot was parried by goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier but crossed the line. Chevalier, who played a crucial role in Lille’s win over Madrid, made a vital save in the 47th minute to keep his team in the match. Angel Gomes then equalized with a clever outside-of-the-foot finish from Osame Sahraoui’s chipped assist. Up-and-coming midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, only 17 years old, showcased his talent with a two-touch dribble past an opponent before delivering a precise through ball to set up Mitchel Bakker for the winning goal in the 75th minute. Lille moved to fourth place in the league, eight points ahead of Toulouse, who suffered their third consecutive loss.
