AS Monaco extended their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season on Saturday, September 12, coming from behind at the Meinau to draw 1-1 with RC Strasbourg, an own goal cancelled out by another spectacular Paris Brunner strike to keep the Rouge et Blanc top of the table.
Monaco arrived at Strasbourg full of confidence, having won all three of their opening league fixtures, including a dramatic 2-1 comeback win away to PSG the previous weekend. Head coach Filipe Luís had stressed the need to maintain the same discipline and focus shown against PSG, aware that Strasbourg’s home ground has long proven a difficult venue for visiting sides.
Luís made just one change from that PSG win, handing Anis Soubeir his first senior start in place of the injured Mamadou Coulibaly. Stanis Idumbo, fresh off his first call-up to the DR Congo national team, retained his place on the left wing, while the Dier-Sané central defensive pairing continued.
In front of a sold-out Meinau crowd that included around 400 travelling Monaco supporters, the match burst into life early. Soubeir squandered an early chance set up by Brunner in the sixth minute, while Sébastian Nanasi’s downward header lacked power at the other end shortly after. Vanderson forced a corner with a driven effort midway through the half, before Monaco’s early control took a hit when their young winger, a product of the club’s La Diagonale academy, went off injured and was replaced by Matthis Abline in the 22nd minute. Strasbourg grew into the game from there, with Brunner’s own headed effort drifting just over before the break, and a stoppage-time chance falling narrowly wide for the hosts.
Monaco’s luck turned firmly against them early in the second half. Sadibou Sané inadvertently headed the ball past his own goalkeeper in the 51st minute, gifting Strasbourg an unfortunate lead. Brunner responded almost immediately, only to see his header cannon back off the post. Strasbourg continued to threaten, forcing a smart save from Lukáš Hradecký, before Brunner delivered the moment that mattered: a stunning strike from 25 metres that flew into the top corner in the 73rd minute, his third Ligue 1 goal of the season, levelling the score at 1-1. He nearly doubled his tally moments later, only for a mishit effort to be gathered by the Strasbourg goalkeeper.
Monaco pushed for a winner in the closing stages, with Denis Zakaria seeing a late effort ruled out for a marginal offside in the 87th minute, and captain Zakaria’s driven half-volley sailing over in stoppage time in what proved the match’s final chance. The point was enough to see Monaco reclaim top spot in Ligue 1, extending their unbeaten start to the season.
The result marks the sixth time Monaco have reached ten points from their opening four Ligue 1 matches since returning to the top flight in 2013-14, following similar starts in 2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2023-24 and 2024-25. On each of those previous occasions, the club went on to finish the season on the podium.
Monaco’s unbeaten run continues next Friday, September 18, at 8:45pm, when they host RC Lens at Stade Louis-II.