Monaco shrugged off the absence of want-away star striker Kylian Mbappe as captain Radamel Falcao's late goal secured a 1-0 victory at Metz on Friday that saw them set a new French top-flight win record.
Falcao's goal came with 12 minutes left at the Stade Saint-Symphorien, and the win makes it three in a row at the start of the new season for Leonardo Jardim's reigning Ligue 1 champions.
Highlights from game
It is also now 15 on the bounce going back to February as Monaco surpassed the previous mark of 14 in a row established by Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux in 2009.
Mbappe had been left out of the squad completely amid intensifying speculation surrounding his future.
The 18-year-old player, who was outstanding in the second half of last season as the principality club won the title and reached the semi-finals of the Uefa Champions League, wants to move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The capital club and Real Madrid are both reportedly ready to pay €180 million (Dh777.6m) for his services as they look to team him up with Neymar and Edinson Cavani in attack.
The young French international had already been left on the bench for the duration of last weekend's 4-1 win at Dijon when Falcao scored a hat-trick and the Colombian again made the difference here.
The match, preceded by a minute's silence as a tribute to the victims of the terror attacks in Spain, had been heading towards a goalless draw until Falcao's intervention.
Monaco had won 7-0 in Metz last season, their biggest ever away win in the top flight, while they also won 5-0 when the teams met at the Stade Louis II. Mbappe scored a hat-trick in that match.
Falcao and Rony Lopes tested the Metz goalkeeper Thomas Didillon in the first half but the game was still finely poised when Jardim sent on former Lyon winger Rachid Ghezzal for his Monaco debut midway through the second half.
Nolan Roux threatened for Metz on the counter-attack but it was the visitors who were the most threatening and Kamil Glik's header from a corner was saved by Didillon before the winner arrived on 78 minutes.
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Ghezzal lifted a great ball into the box for Falcao, whose first touch took him past the goalkeeper before he slotted in his fifth goal in three league games this season.
Monaco's eighth straight away league win also left Metz still without a point to their name.
Lyon are hoping to maintain their perfect start to the campaign when they host Bordeaux on Saturday.
Neymar is set to make his home debut for Paris Saint-Germain against Toulouse on Sunday following his world record €222m move from Barcelona.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
