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Sochaux moved out of the relegation zone by securing their second home win of the season against a lacklustre Monaco on Sunday.
After their impressive draw at Bordeaux last weekend, Dominique Bijotat’s players confirmed that they are ready to turn the corner by disposing of a Monaco side bereft of belief and determination.
The Monégasques had not lost in their last four League outings, but suffered a limp UEFA Cup defeat against Viking on Thursday, and new boss Francesco Guidolin has now tasted defeat in Ligue 1.
For once Sochaux failed to dominate possession in the first half at the Stade Bonal, but equally unusual was the fact that Sochaux led at the break. Les Doubistes scored from their first meaningful attack, as Philippe Brunel’s long ball over a static Monaco defence reached Araujo Ilan, and the Brazilian slotted a finish past Guillaume Warmuz.
For all Monaco’s pressing, they struggled to find any way through the home side’s makeshift defence and were lucky not to fall further behind when Guirane Ndaw struck the post after another swift Sochaux counterattack.
Camel Meriem and Toifilou Maoulida had the visitors’ first two efforts on goal, but Teddy Richert was in sharp form.
Sochaux struck a key blow just before the interval, however, Moumouni Dagano heading home Fabien Boudarène’s free kick after being left alone at the far post.
Buoyed by Dagano’s strike, Sochaux came out firing in the second half. Brunel would have finished the game off had he not wasted a glaring chance by heading over - and Monaco were soon looking to make Sochaux pay. Maoulida fired over when well placed on 56 minutes, then 10 minutes later Richert excelled himself again to save from Emmanuel Adebayor.
In the end Monaco left themselves with too much work to do. Warmuz had to tip Ilan’s header onto the bar as Sochaux finished the game strongly and, though Maicon pulled one goal back from Meriem’s cross, it was nothing more than a consolation.
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