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Nantes produced an improved defensive performance to hold Monaco to a goalless at La Beaujoire on Sunday.
After conceding seven goals in their last two matches, Serge Le Dizet's side refused to give Monaco an inch, often playing with nine or ten players behind the ball.
In a game of few chances, Monaco at least showed more attacking ambition. Emmanuel Adebayor raced clear on the left in the second minute but his cross did not pick out a teammate.
Pascal Delhommeau then came within a whisker of scoring an own goal as he deflected Camel Meriem's free kick, forcing home goalkeeper Mickaël Landreau to pull off a fine save.
Five minutes before the interval, Monaco's superiority looked as though it would produce a goal. Loïc Guillon brought Lucas Bernardi down inside the box but Adebayor's spot kick was saved by penalty specialist Landreau.
Sensing that Monaco may be having an off-day, Nantes came out positively after the interval and Mamadou Diallo's header forced Guillaume Warmuz to make his first save of the night on 53 minutes.
Diallo was then guilty of missing the target with his head after Milos Dimitrijevic had picked the Mali international out in the box.
Monaco enjoyed the better of the closing stages but had to make do with shooting from range and failed to trouble Landreau. However, it was Nantes who came closest to snatching an unlikely win, as Warmuz pushed Diallo's shot past the post in the dying seconds.
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