Monaco stay top of Ligue 1 after hard-fought draw at Strasbourg
Monaco stayed top of Ligue 1 after a deserved 1-1 draw away to Strasbourg at the Stade de la Meinau.
Strasbourg went into the match in good form, having taken seven points from their previous three league games, and they made Monaco work for every moment of possession. Monaco had more of the ball for long spells but struggled to turn that control into clear chances.
Match highlight
The league leaders did not manage a shot on target in the opening 20 minutes. Their problems grew when Anis Soubeir was forced off after an accident. Strasbourg continued to disrupt Monaco in midfield, with Pape Diop and Gio Reyna particularly effective at breaking up play.
Strasbourg became more dangerous after the half-hour mark. Gessime Yassine came closest to breaking the deadlock when he met the ball 12 yards from goal and sent a left-footed effort narrowly wide of the post.
It was one of five unanswered attempts from the home side as the first half came to an end. Strasbourg had the better of the closing stages, while Filip Jorgensen had a quiet evening in their goal.
The home side’s pressure finally produced a goal six minutes after the restart. Sadibou Sane, who had completed every pass up to that point, misread the flight of a free-kick and headed the ball into his own net.
Monaco almost hit back immediately. Paris Brunner met a cross with a powerful header, but Jorgensen made a superb one-handed save and pushed the ball onto the post.
The game remained finely balanced until Brunner produced the equaliser. He drove forward from midfield, found space around 30 yards from goal and hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
Monaco thought they had won it in the 87th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. They had to settle for a point after their first match without a win of the 2026-27 season.
The draw keeps Monaco in first place, but Strasbourg again showed why they have become difficult opponents at home. They have now lost only one of their last eight Saturday home matches in Ligue 1, winning five and drawing two.
For Monaco, it was not their cleanest performance, but Brunner’s moment of quality preserved their place at the summit. Strasbourg will feel they deserved something from the game after matching the leaders for long periods.
