Love delivers as Monaco snatch Valentine’s Day point

Brazilian striker Vagner Love chose Valentine’s Day to deliver his first goal in France’s Ligue 1 on Sunday, earning Monaco a crucial point in a 1-1 draw at Saint-Etienne.

The result leaves Monaco on 46 points in second place in Ligue 1, which is an automatic Champions League qualifying berth, six points clear of Saint-Etienne in third.

Lyon, Nice and Nantes are all a further point back and Nice can move back into third with a win at home to Marseille later on Sunday.

Saint-Etienne had needed extra-time to beat struggling Troyes and make the French Cup quarter-finals in midweek, but were in buoyant mood after winning their last two league games.

Christophe Galtier’s men are strong at home and Monaco ‘keeper Danijel Subasic made several key saves as the principality side weathered first-half pressure.

But the Croatian shot-stopper was wrong-footed as Senegalese defender Moustapha Sall produced a towering header to open the scoring on 57 minutes.

Thomas Lemar, Love and Helder Costa all missed glaring chances as Monaco threw caution to the wind looking for an equaliser.

But the dogged visitors eventually earned a point on 84 minutes when the 31-year-old Love, who joined from Corinthians in the January transfer window, stabbed home in a chaotic goalmouth scramble.

The Valentine’s Day goal from Love left Saint-Etienne coach Galtier feeling bittersweet.

“We didn’t take our chances when we were on top — we lost two points due to a weak 10 minutes. It’s a shame for the players and the fans, but it’s exciting what with the Cup and a late run up the league,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday Lyon recorded their third successive big win, thumping Caen 4-1 to further boost their hopes of snatching Champions League qualification from a frustrating season.

Samuel Umtiti, Alexandre Lacazette, Maxwell Cornet and Corentin Tolisso all scored for OL with Andy Delort replying for Caen as Lyon bounced back from their 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup during the week.

Bruno Genesio’s side had won 3-0 against both Bordeaux and Angers in their previous two league outings and along with Saint-Etienne will hope to give Monaco a run for second spot.

On Saturday, runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain extended their record-breaking unbeaten league run to 35 matches but they had to settle for a point in a 0-0 draw at home to Lille in their final outing before facing Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc rested the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta and Maxwell, while Edinson Cavani missed their best chance, somehow blasting off target with the goal gaping after Lille ‘keeper Vincent Enyeama dropped a cross.

The capital club are an enormous 24 points clear of Monaco in second.

Among Saturday’s other games, Nantes beat Lorient 2-1 to make it 15 games unbeaten between league and cup. The Canaries are right in contention for European qualification.
Source :AFP