Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes

PARIS: Monaco went top of the Ligue 1 table on Saturday with a 2-1 win away to Rennes, moving three points ahead of reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Goals from Thilo Kehrer and Folarin Balogun sent the principality side to 19 points. PSG, who are on 16 with a better goal difference, will have the chance to overtake them when they play Nice on Sunday.

“After seven games, we have 19 points, that´s the reality and the truth, and we´re really happy about that,” said Monaco coach Adi Huetter. However, he added: “The championship is not a 100-metre sprint, it´s a 400-metre race, and we´ve started very well.”

Monaco´s match in the rain in Brittany was decided early in the first half. Kehrer opened the scoring before Ludovic Blas levelled and Balogun then tucked home the winner, all in the first 22 minutes.

Continuing his fine start to the season, Monaco youngster Eliesse Ben Seghir had a part in both of his side´s goals. His sixth-minute corner met the head of Kehrer, who glanced it into the back of the net despite the efforts of a defender on the line.

Blas put Rennes back on terms five minutes later with a rocket of a left-foot strike from more than 35 yards that flew past Philipp Koehn. But Balogun wrapped up the points for Huetter´s side when he clipped the ball past an advancing Steve Mandanda in the 22nd minute after a defence-splitting pass from Ben Seghir.