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[monks data]
Attendance: 23,814
Strasbourg
Ligue 1
Mar 9, 2018 at 7.45pm UK
 
Monaco

1-3

Bahoken (19')
FT(HT: 1-3)
Jovetic (5'), Lopes (21'), Fabinho (41')

Monaco tighten grip on second place with convincing win at Strasbourg

Monaco win away to tighten grip on second
© Offside
All four goals are scored in the first half as Monaco defeat 3-1 Strasbourg in Ligue 1 to tighten their grip on second place in the table.

Monaco have consolidated their position in second place in Ligue 1 with a comfortable 3-1 win away to Strasbourg.

Stephane Bahoken cancelled out Stevan Jovetic's early opener for the visitors, but strikes from Rony Lopes and Fabinho put Leonardo Jardim's side almost out of sight by half time.

The hosts were quickest off the starting blocks and almost took an early lead when Dimitri Lienard gained possession in the box and tested Danijel Subasic with a low strike that the keeper struggled to hold.

The opening stages played out at a blistering pace, and the deadlock was broken within five minutes as Jovetic's header from Djibril Sidibe's cross got away from Alexandre Oukidja and nestled into the bottom corner.

End-to-end action continued uninterrupted and Strasbourg were level in the 19th minute when Bahoken won the ball in the area and shot straight into the bottom corner to make it one apiece.

The parity lasted just two minutes as Monaco went back on the attack straight from the restart, eventually working the ball into the path of Lopes into the opposition's box, who curled one into the bottom corner.

Strasbourg's best chance to draw level went begging in the 33rd minute when Bahoken's cross picked out Jeremy Blayac's run into the penalty area, only for his teammate to blaze the ball over the bar unchallenged.

Martin Terrier tried his luck in the 38th minute, latching on to Blayac's headed pass and shooting just wide of Subasic's upright.

Jardim's men gave their hosts a mountain to climb minutes before half time when Keita Balde's cross was rifled home by Fabinho to give Monaco a healthy lead ahead of the interval.

Both sides showed attacking intent in the second period, and Monaco almost extended their advantage in the 57th minute as Jovetic's header from Thomas Lemar's free kick came back off the post.

Blayac was the home side's most dangerous player throughout and he almost reduced the deficit in the 64th minute when he headed Bahoken cross towards goal, forcing Subasic into another save.

Lopes missed an opportunity to kill the game off into the 68th minute, latching on to Jovetic's through-ball to go one on one with Oukidja, only to lose his bottle and miss the target completely.

Monaco defended tightly in the closing stages and absorbed everything their opponents threw at them, but a last-ditch header from Strasbourg's Bakary Kone almost netted them a consolation deep in stoppage time, the defender's header drifting narrowly off target.

The win leaves Monaco seven points ahead of Marseille in the race for the Ligue 1 runners-up spot, while Strasbourg are just three points above the dropzone in 15th.

STRASBOURG (4-3-3): Oukidja, Martinez, Kone, Seka, Lala, Aholou, Lienard, Martin (Grimm 65'), Blayac, Terrier (Corgnet 45'), Corgnet, Bahoken

MONACO (4-2-3-1): Subasic, Jemerson, Glik, Raggi, Sidibe (Toure 64'), Lemar, Fabinho, Moutinho, Jovetic, Lopes, Balde (Tielemans 79')

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A general shot of a Premier League football ahead of the Premier League clash between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG26178162233959
2Brest26138536201647
3MonacoMonaco26137647361146
4Lille261110537231443
5Nice2612772720743
6Lens2612683527842
7Marseille26109740281239
8Rennes2610974031939
9Reims26115103435-138
10Lyon26104123040-1034
11Toulouse2678112936-729
12StrasbourgStrasbourg2678112839-1129
13Le HavreLe Havre2669112633-727
14Montpellier HSCMontpellier2669113140-926
15Lorient2668123549-1426
16NantesNantes2674152441-1725
17Metz2665152339-1623
18Clermont2648141943-2420

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