AS Monaco ‘totally failed’ as surprise package Angers continue Ligue 1 rise

Angers rose to third and put themselves in improbable Champions League position on Saturday with a resounding 3-0 win over AS Monaco in Ligue 1.

Angers' Cheikh N'Doye celebrates after scoring against AS Monaco on Saturday in the team's Ligue 1 victory. Jean-Francois Monier / AFP / January 30, 2016

Angers inflicted a 3-0 defeat on second-placed AS Monaco on Saturday to reignite their unlikely challenge for a Champions League spot in Ligue 1, while Lyon's European hopes suffered another damaging blow following a 1-0 loss at Bastia.

Hosts Angers took an early lead at the Stade Ange Casanova when Cheikh N’Doye deflected in Romain Saiss’ effort after Monaco failed to clear a corner.

N’Doye doubled the advantage before half-time as Angers took utter control, before gloss was added to the scoreline in the second period by Mohamed Yattara.

Monaco stayed 21 points behind champions elect Paris Saint-Germain, who play at Saint-Etienne on Sunday night. Angers moved, temporarily at least, above Nice and into the third and final Champions League place.

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“Today I think we totally failed to turn up,” said Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim. “We didn’t play with the intensity needed to compete in this league.

“It’s difficult to explain. It’s not possible to play really well five or six days ago (in a 4-0 win over Toulouse) and then perform like we did today.”

Stephane Moulin’s side have been a menace from set-pieces all season and they took a 19th-minute lead from a corner.

Visiting stopper Danijel Subasic kept out a free header from Romain Thomas, but midfielder Saiss got to the rebound first and his shot flew in via the shin of Angers top-scorer N’Doye.

The Senegalese midfielder has had a fantastic debut season in the top flight and the fortuitous effort was his sixth league goal this term.

Monaco were wearing their training shirts as all three of their kits clashed with Angers’ home strip, and it was another scrappy goal that gave N’Doye a double and Angers a two-goal cushion that they thoroughly deserved.

N’Doye’s initial shot was turned onto the crossbar by a stunning Subasic save.

Yattara then hit the loose ball towards the far corner with the aid of a big deflection, and although Subasic got across to save, the Monaco defence watched on as N’Doye prodded in from on the goalline.

The hosts made the points safe ten minutes into the second period when Yattara steered home a third after N’Doye fluffed a great chance to complete the first hat-trick of his career.

Despite claiming just their second win in six games, Angers are showing no sign of letting up in the race for Europe as their rivals also keep dropping points.

“Lots of people don’t like Angers, but I really like them. They’re a good side with 37 points, a return which they deserve for the quality they’ve shown,” added Jardim.

Lyon slumped to a seventh defeat in their last 10 league outings as Brazilian striker Brandao scored a 69th-minute winner in Corsica, with Bastia seeing out the final few minutes a man down after the dismissal of Gilles Cioni.

Corentin Tolisso and Alexandre Lacazette spurned Lyon’s best chances to come away with at least a point, the former seeing his shot blocked on the line by Sebastien Squillaci with Lacazette then denied by the legs of goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca.

Montpellier climbed out of the bottom three with a 4-0 win at Gazelec Ajaccio in new coach Frederic Hantz’s first game in charge, with Reims sliding into the relegation zone after losing 2-0 at Lorient.

Guingamp pulled further clear of trouble with a 2-1 victory at struggling Toulouse, while Nantes are unbeaten in nine games following a 1-0 win at bottom side Troyes.

On Friday, Marseille set an unwanted club record as a 1-1 draw against Lille at the Velodrome extended their winless run at home to nine matches.

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