AS Monaco fell 3-1 away to Lorient in Ligue 1 after playing most of the match with ten men on the evening of Saturday, September 27. Thilo Kehrer’s red card in the first half proved decisive, allowing the hosts to take control at the Stade du Moustoir. Despite Ansu Fati pulling one back in stoppage time, the Red and Whites could not overturn the deficit.
The game began evenly, with Monaco showing flashes through Takumi Minamino, but the turning point came in the 38th minute when Kehrer received a second yellow. Lorient capitalised almost immediately, with Bamba volleying in from Kouassi’s free kick. The Bretons continued to press, forcing several saves from Philipp Köhn before half-time.
Manager Adi Hütter brought on Krépin Diatta and Folarin Balogun at the break, but Lorient remained dangerous. Pagis doubled the lead midway through the second half before adding a third with a superb strike under the bar. Monaco academy graduate Pape Cabral made his senior debut late on, testing the goalkeeper with his first effort.
In the closing moments, Balogun won a penalty which Fati converted, scoring his fourth goal in Ligue 1 and briefly topping the scorers’ chart. But the late strike was not enough to prevent Monaco’s first defeat after three consecutive league victories.
The team will now turn its attention to Europe, with a high-profile Champions League clash against Manchester City at the Stade Louis-II on the evening of Wednesday, October 1.
