Paris: Mario Balotelli scored a brace as Monaco’s record 16-match winning streak in Ligue 1 was ended with a 4-0 thumping by Nice at the Allianz Riviera on Saturday.
Balotelli’s early penalty put Nice ahead, before Alassane Plea made it two in the 18th minute.
Monaco tried to apply some pressure early in the second period, but Balotelli completed a brace to put the game beyond the reach of the reigning French champions and teenage substitute Ignatius Ganago finished the rout to leave the visitors shell-shocked.
It was a vibrant display from Nice, who finished third last season, after losing three of their first four league games of the season before the international break. “This game was great for us, it gets us back on track,” said Nice coach Lucien Favre, after his side had repeated their 4-0 home win over Monaco from 12 months ago.
“Plea and Balotelli together, it’s good if those around them are good too.
“Mario must be involved in the pressing too. He did that. It is a positive, but also indispensable. After that, there are no worries about his ability to score goals.”
For Monaco it could prove a costly loss, as they slipped three points behind early leaders Paris Saint-Germain after their first match since teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe left for the capital club.
“We have to stand beside our players because today was a bad day for us,” said Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim. “It’s been a year since we didn’t turn up, and that was here. “But against Nice our ratio of wins and losses is still balanced, and last year we lost 4-0 here and ended up as the champions.”
Monaco caught cold
Balotelli returned from injury to make his first league start of the campaign, but close-season signing Wesley Sneijder missed out after hobbling off at half-time in the Netherlands’ World Cup qualifier against France last week.
A rapid counter-attack from the hosts caught Monaco cold in just the fifth minute, and after Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic had denied Plea, Balotelli was hauled down in the area by Djibril Sidibe. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
