Ligue 1: Monaco Beat Marseille, Folarin Balogun Scores Stunning Winner

Monaco 2-1 Marseille, Balogun scores 

AS Monaco secure crucial 2-1 win over Olympique de Marseille, with Folarin Balogun scoring a stunning goal to extend Monaco's Ligue 1 winning streak to seven matches.

Monaco edge Marseille 2-1, Balogun's brilliance sends team into European contention...

AS Monaco secured a crucial 2-1 win over Olympique de Marseille, boosting their chances of securing a UEFA Champions League spot. This win extends Monaco's Ligue 1 winning streak to seven matches.

The match got off to a slow start, with Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche having the first real chance, going close with an acrobatic effort. 

Lukas Hradecky made a crucial save to deny Hamed Traorè's effort from a tight angle, while Gerónimo Rulli had to rush out to prevent Maghnes Akliouche from scoring off Thilo Kehrer's long ball. Hradecky also stopped Igor Paixao one-on-one, keeping the score level at half-time and allowing Monaco to regroup.

Monaco came into the second half with renewed energy, looking to capitalize on their chances. 

AS MONACO WITH A HUGE VICTORY OVER MARSEILLE! 🇲🇨⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ReawpILcTm

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 5, 2026

Monaco started to pressure Marseille's goal and got their reward just before the hour mark. Jordan Teze's delivery into the area allowed Aleksandr Golovin to rise and poke the ball into the top corner on the volley, giving Monaco the lead.

Marseille pushed back, led by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who fired a powerful shot that Hradecky batted away.

Monaco protected their lead by playing on the counter, relying on Hradecky to make crucial saves, including one on Quinten Timber's long-range strike. Their strategy paid off with a moment of brilliance from Folarin Balogun, who scored with an audacious chip over Rulli from an acute angle, making it 2-0.

Balogun's goal marked his sixth consecutive league match with a goal, a feat last achieved by a Monaco player in 2019. 

Marseille got a late consolation goal through Amine Gouiri, who powered through challenges and fired under Hradecky with five minutes to go. However, it wasn't enough to prevent Marseille's first back-to-back league defeat this season.

The fight for the Champions League spots is getting CRAZY! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/HODjvyfqmQ

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 5, 2026

Monaco's seventh consecutive win puts them level with Marseille on 49 points, just one point shy of Lille in the third and final automatic UEFA Champions League qualification spot.