AS Monaco welcomed Saint-Etienne to Stade Louis II on Saturday afternoon with the chance to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1.
The Monte Carlo outfit could become outright leaders of the division with a positive result while Les Verts, who had dropped off in previous weeks, could temporarily move to fourth with a victory on the road this afternoon.
However, Monaco left it late to snatch victory from Saint-Etienne is a thrilling contest.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of Ligue 1 action where AS Monaco host Saint-Etienne at Stade Louis II.
French football is already up and running this weekend following Bastia's huge 4-1 win over Lorient on Friday night, and we have more games in store for you today starting with AS Monaco's clash with Saint-Etienne.
Both sides started this campaign in tremendous form, with Les Verts even topping the table at one point. However, since the early stages, Saint-Etienne have dropped off the pace while Monaco remain unbeaten in the division.
Monaco currently sit top of Ligue 1, level on points with champions Paris Saint-Germain, but have the chance to move clear this afternoon. The fact that PSG travel to Marseille on Sunday for what should be a tremendously tough Le Classique will only further inspire Monaco to get the job done today.
Meanwhile, the Coupe de la Ligue holders got off to a fantastic start to the season, and were one of the early pace-setters. However, they have recently gone three matches without a win, but knowing that they can go fourth with three points today will surely spur the away side on.
Right, let's bring you today's team news.
MONACO XI: Subasic, Tisserand, Carvalho, Abidal, Raggi, Ferreira Carrasco, Kondogbia, Moutinho, Obbadi, Rodriguez, Falcao
Manager Claudio Ranieri has made four changes to the team following their stuttering 1-1 draw at Reims last Sunday.
Fabinho, Layvin Kurzawa, Lucas Ocampos and Emmanuel Riviere have all made way, with Marcel Tisserand, Andrea Raggi, Geoffrey Kondogbia and James Rodriguez come into the side.
Let's take a look at the substitutes for Monaco this afternoon.
MONACO BENCH: Roma, Fabinho, Isimat-Mirin, Ocampos, Pi, Germain, Martial
Ok, now for the visitors.
SAINT-ETIENNE XI: Ruffier, Clerc, Ghoulam, Sall, Zouma, Cohade, Diomande, Lemoine, Mollo, Tabanou, Hamouma
Les Verts head coach Christophe Galtier has made just a single alteration to the team that threw away a two-goal lead to draw with Bastia last weekend.
Yohan Mollo comes into the starting lineup, with Mevlut Erding absent from the squad.
Here are the options on the bench that Galtier has at his disposal this evening.
SAINT-ETIENNE BENCH: Moulin, Mignot, Polomat, Clement, Corgnet, Gradel, Saint-Maximin
This is the first time these two sides have met at Stade Louis II in just under three years, with Saint-Etienne picking up a 2-0 victory against Monaco back in December 2010. Interestingly enough, Stephane Ruffier was keeping goal for Monaco that day, against his current club.
On the other side of things, Monaco striker Emmanuel Riviere was a Saint-Etienne player that they, but he isn't in the squad for today's match.
The two teams are in the tunnel and will shortly be heading out to the field at Stade Louis II.
Monaco will be wearing their home strip of red and white halved shirts, white shorts and socks, while Saint-Etienne are sporting their first kit of all-green with white trim.
And out they come to a buzzing Stade Louis II.
KICKOFF! Monaco, playing from right to left, gets us underway here.
Both sides are missing a number of key players, but have still managed to field respective lineups that are more than capable of picking up the win.
Mollo won Saint-Etienne an early corner which Monaco easily cleared. The hosts have since taken control early on.
Ooooh Rodriguez very nearly chips Ferreira Carrasco through on goal, but the latter is deemed to be marginally offside.
Monaco have started to get their foot on the ball a bit more now and are dictating the passing. Both keepers are still awaiting to be test for the first time.
Moutinho spots a clever run from Falcao across the face of goal and tries to pick him out at the near post. However, he can't quite find the Colombian, and the ball bounces out for a goal kick.
SAVE! Ruffier really bails his side out here. An awful pass back from Cohade goes straight to the feet of Rodriguez, who is one-on-one with Ruffier. However, the keeper is out quickly, reads the situation well, and manages to make the stop.
Saint-Etienne are struggling at the moment to do anything with the ball.
GOAL! AS Monaco 1-0 Saint-Etienne (Yannick Ferreira Carrasco)
It's been coming, and Monaco take the lead through Ferreira Carrasco. James Rodriguez has the ball and threads it in behind the Saint-Etienne backline to the young Belgian, who takes a touch, and slots it past the onrushing Ruffier.
Saint-Etienne have started to come into the game more since falling behind, and are enjoying some more attacking possession. However, they are yet to test Subasic in the Monaco goal.
SAVE! Hamouma nearly brings the visitors level from nothing from a long throw which he then lifts over the head of Abidal, skips past Carvalho but cannot quite lob the ball over the head of Subasic from an acute angle.
Back at the other end, Falcao is being surrounded every time he gets the ball.
Couple of corners for Monaco, but they can't make the most of them. They will have a third now.
Really physical scenes between Ruffier and Mollo on the line for Saint-Etienne, with the keeper trying to drag his teammate to where he wants him. Mollo isn't taking too kindly to Ruffier's hands-on approach.
Again, Saint-Etienne can deal with the corner.
CHANCE! Lovely move from Saint-Etienne as Cohade dinks the ball over the backline to Tabanou on the right of the box. He draws Subasic off his line and tries to chip it over his head and into the far corner, but it drops just wide of the post.
YELLOW CARD Radamel Falcao goes into the book for leaving his boots in a tackle. He has cut a very frustrated figure so far this afternoon and it's clear that he is the recipient of serious marking from Les Verts.
I get the sense that there will be another goal before half time, and it will prove massively important. Falcao gets the ball on the edge of the box but is drowned in a sea of green.
Moutinho smashes a low free kick from about 35 yards out, but it bounces off the wall and it is cleared.
YELLOW CARD Ghoulam goes into the book for dragging Rodriguez to the floor.
The Saint-Etienne fans are in fine voice today as their team still go on the hunt for an equaliser before the break. No real chances in the past few minutes though.
We will have one minute of added time.
HALF TIME: AS Monaco 1-0 Saint-Etienne
So just the one goal in that first half which came from Ferreira Carrasco. Monaco are pretty good value for their lead, but Saint-Etienne are creeping back into it.
Let's take a look at the half-time stats.
Match statistics:
AS Monaco:
Shots 7
On target 3
Possession 56%
Corners 3
Fouls 7
Saint-Etienne:
Shots 3
On target 2
Possession 44%
Corners 0
Fouls 4
The two teams are back out ahead of this second half.
KICKOFF! Saint-Etienne, playing from right to left, get the second half up and running.
GOAL! AS Monaco 1-1 Saint-Etienne (Romain Hamouma)
Les Verts have come out fighting in this second half and are level early on. Ghoulam goes down the plays and passes it inside to Cohade. He plays a brilliant short pass on the turn inside the box to play in Hamouma, who finishes past Subasic. Game on!
Decent attacking response from Monaco. They have since had a corner and a free kick which Saint-Etienne have defended well.
Saint-Etienne have been sniffing around for a second goal over the past few minutes, but Falcao has a chance at goal from a free kick 25 yards out just left of centre.
Straight into the wall, disappointing.
YELLOW CARD Hamouma goes into the book for a high foot on Subasic as the keeper claimed the loose ball.
SAVE! Good stop from Ruffier after Rodriguez pulled out a stinging shot from nowhere.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Corgnet is on for Cohade.
YELLOW CARD Mollo into the book for a poor challenge on Tisserand.
It's very even at the moment, both sides attacking each other in search of a winner.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Mollo comes off and is replaced by former Leeds United man Max Gradel.
Monaco are starting to take control once again. Ferreira Carrasco pulls off a wonderful Maradona turn on the edge of the box to beat two players but his cross Falcao was cleared.
Monaco are all over Saint-Etienne at the moment, but just can't seem to create that decisive chance.
They have a free kick on the right here.
Rodriguez curls it with his left to the far post, but Les Verts can clear their lines for now.
Claudio Ranieri is still yet to make a change in this match for Monaco which seems a bit odd.
MONACO CHANGE Right on cue. Lucas Ocampos is the man coming on, with Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, who scored their goal today, comes off.
MONACO CHANGE Geoffrey Kondogbia makes way for Germain.
SAVE! What a vital stop that is from Subasic as the game opens up. Saint-Etienne counter from a Monaco corner, and Gradel finds himself one-on-one with the keeper. He gets his shot away, but Subasic makes the stop with his legs.
Falcao felt that he should have had a penalty prior to the break from Les Verts, nothing was given.
GOAL! AS Monaco 2-1 Saint-Etienne (Lucas Ocampos)
Could that be the winner? What a change from Ranieri, as Rodriguez puts a teasing pass across the face of the six-yard box, which Ocampos meets at the far post and slots it back across goal into the bottom corner. Jubilant scenes at Stade Louis II.
SAVE! Ruffier makes a great stop from a Falcao free kick.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Lemoine is replaced by Saint-Maximin.
We will have three minutes of added time.
Free kick in a good position here for Saint-Etienne to put the ball into the box.
It beats everyone and goes straight out of play. A real waste that.
YELLOW CARD Benjamin Corgnet goes into the book for a late challenge on Joao Moutinho.
FULL TIME: AS Monaco 2-1 Saint Etienne
They left it late, but Monaco have beaten Saint-Etienne at Stade Louis II to move three points clear of title rivals Paris Saint-Germain.
Monaco also maintain their unbeaten start to the season after Lucas Ocampos' winner followed Romain Hamouma cancelling out Yannick Ferreira Carrasco's opener.
Here are the full-time stats.
Match statistics:
AS Monaco:
Shots 11
On target 6
Possession 58%
Corners 7
Fouls 13
Saint-Etienne:
Shots 8
On target 5
Possession 42%
Corners 0
Fouls 16
That's all from me for this match, but stick with me and Sports Mole throughout the evening to keep up to date with the Ligue 1 action.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
