AS Monaco made a strong start to the second matchday of Ligue 1. At the Stade Louis-II, the Monegasques dominated Olympique de Marseille 2-0 on Sunday evening, thanks to a brace from Paris Brunner. The 20-year-old German striker scored his first two Ligue 1 goals, giving ASM their second victory in as many games. Monaco now has six points and sits alone at the top of the table. For OM, who impressed in their opening match against Strasbourg (4-0), the evening was much more challenging.
Brunner strikes in the 13th minute
Monaco didn't wait long to take the lead. In the 13th minute, Aleksandr Golovin collected the ball on the right flank and delivered a precise cross into the box. Paris Brunner got ahead of the Marseille defense and headed the ball past Jeffrey De Lange. The German striker almost doubled his tally nine minutes later. Played in by Stanis Idumbo, he shot with his right foot, but De Lange managed to save this time. Marseille enjoyed periods of possession but struggled to create any real danger in front of the Monaco goal. Monaco looked much sharper whenever they won the ball back and exploited the spaces left by the Olympians.
A surging run by Brunner to knock out OM
Upon returning from the locker room, Keyliane Abdallah tried to spark Marseille into life and created a chance in the 47th minute. But Marseille's hopes were quickly dashed. In the 54th minute, Paris Brunner found space and embarked on a long, sweeping run. The German held off Geoffrey Kondogbia, continued his run, then beat CJ Egan-Riley with a feint before slotting the ball past De Lange with his left foot. This individual effort allowed Monaco to extend their lead to 2-0. Brunner thus scored his first brace in Ligue 1. Having arrived at Monaco from Borussia Dortmund, the German U17 World Cup winner confirmed his excellent start to the season. He had already scored in both European matches played against Górnik Zabrze and finished as Monaco's top scorer during preseason with five goals.
Kondogbia and Nnadi leave the field injured
The evening also turned into a physical headache for Bruno Genesio. Geoffrey Kondogbia, beaten by Brunner for the second goal, felt pain in his right thigh a few minutes later. He had to leave the field in the 59th minute and was replaced by Nayef Aguerd. Tochukwu Nnadi then suffered a physical problem. Having come on at halftime, the Nigerian midfielder initially tried to continue the match before being forced off in the 73rd minute. Neal Maupay replaced him. Angel Gomes was also injured during a match that is taking its toll on a Marseille squad already dealing with several transfers and absences at the end of the transfer window.
Marseille is too safe
Marseille had a few chances to reduce the deficit late in the game. Amine Gouiri had an opportunity in the 80th minute, but Vanderson made a crucial save for Monaco. Faris Moumbagna also tried his luck in stoppage time, but couldn't beat the Monaco defense. Ultimately, Marseille never found the net. After scoring four goals against Strasbourg on the opening day, Bruno Genesio's men failed to score at the Stade Louis-II and suffered their first defeat of the season.
Monaco alone at the top of the table before a clash against PSG
For Monaco, the record is perfect: two matches, two wins, and six points. After starting their season with a 1-0 victory at Le Havre, Filipe Luís's team confirmed their form at home against one of their main rivals. ASM now sits alone at the top of Ligue 1 and faces an even bigger test. Monaco will travel to the Parc des Princes on Friday to take on PSG. The Monegasques will approach this match as league leaders, buoyed by Paris Brunner, who just delivered the most impressive performance of his young Ligue 1 career against Marseille.
