(Ligue 1 2023/2024): Highlights NANTES - MONACO

Tabletop is Monaco kicked off matchday three with a trip to take on a struggling Nantes side with new manager Pierre Aristouilhe already under pressure to two defeats from two. Canary was still without the injured Albonafont while defender Jean-Charles Castelletto started at the back and rumours of a potential transfer request. Former Takumi Minamino started again for the visitors looking to continue his purple patch of form after a brace during the 3-0 win over Strasbourg last time out. It was he and his side who fell behind after just five minutes. Denis Zakaria bringing down Moses Simon in the box, referee pointing to the spot. Staffer Mohamed the man to step up and successfully sending Philippe Cohen the wrong way to give the home side the lead from the spot just as he did on the opening day. Just ten minutes later the lead was doubled when Castelletto rose highest to head home in a Bambas corner. The Nantes faithful surely hoping he'll stick around to fuse a few more of those just as the home fans perhaps dared to dream of a comfortable win, something that's been a rarity in 2023. Monaco pulled one back midway through the half when Minamino did continue his purple patch. Kaio with a rare right-footed cross, Japanese flicking ahead at beyond Remy Dicom. Minamino has been involved already in five goals after three league games this season. A Monaco player has done better over the first three matchdays of a top-flight season since records began. Visitors came close to an equaliser a couple of times before the break. Sam Benyetta shooting straight at Dicom and then Wilfred Singo firing narrowly over from long range. All that pressure the second half was only three minutes old when Mohamed grabbed his second and Nantes' third. One time Merlin getting three down the left, hitting a ball across that missed everyone on its way. Left back just about on side, the unmarked forward left with a simple finish for 3-1. Egyptian now has 11 league goals since joining Nantes last season, that's four more than any other Canary player over that period. Monaco would claw themselves back into the contest, they reduced the deficit to one once again when Youssef Afan has shot deflected back out to Benyetta. 50th Ligue 1 Uber Eats away goal for the Monaco captain, only Kylian Mbappé Edinson Cavani and Alexandre Lacazette have done better in the 21st century. Monaco then began to knock on the door increasingly loudly and Emino very nearly levelling matters when he hit the post with a deflected left-footed effort. The equaliser would eventually come by a late super sub, another near miss as Afan's shot bounced back off the bar but Marouane Boadu on the spot to finish first time within a matter of seconds of entering the pitch. All eight of Boadu's Ligue 1 Uber Eats goals have been scored away from home, making the player with the most away goals without having scored at home in the last 75 years. This perhaps is most important to date. So a first point on the board for Nantes but two more that can certainly be considered to have got away from them. Monaco drop points for the first time this season but their late comeback seems to stay top of the pile.