On the night of October 19, Beijing time, Monaco secured a 0-0 draw against Lille in the 8th round of this season’s Ligue 1. Although they failed to win, Monaco has remained unbeaten for more than three months.
The match took place at Stade Louis II (Monaco). In the 61st minute, Monaco’s right-back Jordan Teze received his second yellow card and was sent off for fouling an opponent. They were forced to play the remainder of the game with 10 men. However, under the leadership of coach Julian Nagelsmann, the team held on tenaciously to secure a valuable point.
Before Teze’s dismissal, Monaco had performed better than Lille, with 14 shots on goal and creating several dangerous offensive opportunities that threatened the goal kept by Lucas Chevalier. However, Golovin, Minamino, and Ilnyckyana all underperformed and failed to score in the match.
L’Équipe praised Monaco’s defensive performance. Lille’s Jonathan David, who currently ranks second in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 5 goals, played the full 90 minutes but only managed one shot on target and failed to score. The Canadian forward was closely marked throughout the match and lost possession 13 times.
Monaco currently boasts the best defense in the league, having conceded only 4 goals, tied with Lens. Behind them is Paris Saint-Germain, who have conceded 6 goals.
The draw against Lille means Monaco now has 20 points after 8 matches, leading second-placed Paris Saint-Germain by 3 points, though they have played one more game. Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, and Lens are the only three teams in this season’s Ligue 1 that remain unbeaten. If all official matches are considered, Monaco has been unbeaten for 104 days. In their next matches, Paris Saint-Germain will face Strasbourg, while Lens will travel to Saint-Étienne.
