AS Monaco's ambition to make the Champions League next season is still on course thanks to a 3-0 thrashing of already-relegated Lens in their Ligue 1 clash at the Stade de la Licorne.
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The visitors were quickest off the starting blocks as Anthony Martial was played in by Joao Moutinho seven minutes in, but the teenager fired wide of goal.
Monaco continued to force the issue through chances from Layvin Kurzawa and Geoffrey Kondogbia, with Moutinho pulling the strings in midfield.
Pablo Chavarria fired just wide for Lens in the 35th minute, but Leonardo Jardim's charges were duly rewarded moments later when Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco lashed a powerful shot into the top-left corner.
Monaco then doubled their lead on the stroke of half time when a fast counter-attack led by the Belgian scorer was finished off by Martial's low drive.
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Both sides began brightly after the restart as Chavarria's goalbound shot in the 47th minute was blocked, while Martial's effort moments later was saved by Rudy Riou.
As the game went on, however, Monaco's quality showed through as they upped the pressure and ultimately notched a third goal to kill off the contest, courtesy of Bernardo Silva bundling home from close range.
The result keeps Monaco third in the Ligue 1 table, while Lens, bottom of the standings, saw their fate sealed back in January when their promotion from Ligue 2 last season was deemed invalid.
Giuseppe Labellarte
