Monaco beats Marseille 2-1

Monaco picked up where it had left off before the international break, beating southern rival Marseille 2-1 in the French league as US striker Folarin Balogun scored a superb goal to strengthen host Monaco’s push for a Champions League spot.

The Principality side won a seventh straight Ligue 1 game on Sunday and increased its unbeaten run to 10 league matches.

The win lifted Monaco level on points with fourth-placed Marseille and just one point behind third-placed Lille.

Balogun, who has scored eight goals in his last eight games for Monaco in all competitions, made it 2-0 in the 74th minute when he finished a move sparked by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky’s clearance. The American then dribbled into the box and chipped a subtle lob into the far corner.

Aleksandr Golovin had put Monaco in front near the hour mark. Amine Gouiri pulled one back for Marseille in the 85th minute.

The visitors, who played without the suspended Mason Greenwood, pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages but Hradecky denied an attempt from Facundo Medina with a fine reflex save and Jordan Teze cleared an effort from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang off the line.

 Sprint royalty: Usain Bolt, the eight-time Olympic gold medallist, was at the Louis II stadium and took part in a ceremonial.