Just minutes after Edan Diop’s opener, Matthis Abline broke Monaco’s deadlock against Toulouse with a stunning strike. Could this be the season’s standout?
On Saturday night, Monaco hosted Toulouse for Ligue 1’s sixth round, and Abline delivered a pre‑half‑time masterpiece in the 38th minute.
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After winning the ball at midfield, Sofiane Diop slipped it to his teammate in the channel. Facing away from goal, the former Nantes player lifted the sphere, juggled twice, turned toward the Toulousain net and unleashed a right‑footed cross‑court volley from the edge of the box. New France debutant Guillaume Restes could do nothing, not even stir.
Can Monaco keep this momentum and challenge for the championship as the season unfolds?
Less than ten minutes earlier, Sofiane Diop (again) had put Monaco ahead with a close‑range header, assisted by Aleksandr Golovin’s pass that split the defence in the 29th minute. The Principality side led 2‑0 at halftime.
Leading the league after five rounds, AS Monaco appears on track for an almost flawless start. Having also won the Conference League two‑leg tie against Gornik, the Rock club stays unbeaten in seven matches across all competitions—only a controversial draw in Alsace stopped a perfect run. For my money, Monaco is poised to dominate the title race.