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Monaco’s upturn in form following the resignation of Didier Deschamps continued with a 1-0 win at Lille on Sunday.
Olivier Kapo scored the game’s only goal after an hour’s play to ensure that the Jean Petit’s spell as caretaker boss finished without a single defeat.
Lille were looking to bounce back from their Champions’ League excursions in midweek but as was the case against Villarreal at the Stade de France, they struggled to find any attacking fluency.
It was the visitors who posed the first danger. Emmanuel Adebayor, who was playing as a lone striker, failed to get his head to Kapo’s cross, but the ball reached Toifilou Maoulida at the far post and he skied his shot wastefully over the bar.
Peter Odemwingie was starved of any kind of service in the Lille attack, and Monaco were threatening again on 25 minutes. Olivier Sorlin released Ernesto Chevanton on the right, the Uruguayan crossed for Adebayor who was denied by a timely intervention from Stathis Tavlaridis.
Lille created their first opening shortly after the half hour when Jean II Makoun won possession in midfield and spread the play to Mathieu Debuchy. The young Frenchman’s cross picked out Odemwingie at the near post but the Nigerian’s header went just wide of the upright.
The home side’s best chance of the first half came four minutes before the break as Makoun met Geoffrey Dernis’ free kick with a firm header, but Guillaume Warmuz pulled off an outstanding save with his foot.
Monaco were the better of the two sides, though, and Chevanton issued another warning when his curling free kick glanced the crossbar on its way over. The game seemed to be meandering in no particular direction when Monaco broke the deadlock on 60 minutes.
A cross came into the Lille box from the right, Chevanton managed to flick the ball on and Kapo arrived at the same time at Tavlaridis. Kapo’s shot was squeezed onto the post and then crossed the line thanks to the back spin.
Matt Moussilou and then Mathieu Bodmer were both introduced but Lille’s goalscoring problems continued as Monaco held onto the win without any major alarms.
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