French Ligue 1
MonacoMonaco2Saint-ÉtienneSaint-Étienne0

Monaco 2-0 Saint-Etienne

By Kal SajadBBC Sport

Monaco have won the Ligue 1 title for the first time in 17 years after a 2-0 win at home to Saint-Etienne.

Needing a point to be crowned French champions for the eighth time, the in-form Kylian Mbappe scored the opener in style.

Mbappe, 18, latched on to captain Radamel Falcao's through ball, skipped around the goalkeeper and slotted in.

Forward Valere Germain made sure of the win in injury time with a tap-in from close range.

The home side had all but secured the title before kick-off, with Paris St-Germain three points behind with just one game to play and a far inferior goal difference.

The new champions rarely looked troubled in registering their 11th consecutive league win and subsequently lifting a trophy that has eluded them since the turn of the millennium.

Youth and experience come together

The last time Monaco won Ligue 1 they were fielding a team which included the French trio of Fabien Barthez, David Trezeguet and Willy Sagnol.

Monaco's success this season is largely down to the reinvigorated Colombian Falcao and the emergence of French teenager Mbappe.

Monaco win the Ligue 1 title
Radamel Falcao and Kylian Mbappe have been Monaco's top scorers in Ligue 1 this season

Falcao, 31, has put the disappointment of his loan spells with Manchester United and Chelsea, where he scored just five goals in 36 appearances, behind him.

The forward will finish top scorer for Monaco this campaign, netting 24 times with four assists.

Mbappe has caught the eye of suitors from the top teams in Europe in his breakthrough season. He has scored 15 league goals this season to add to his remarkable performances in the Champions League.

Mbappe, voted Ligue 1's young player of the year, scored six in six as Monaco reached the semi-final stage, eventually losing to Juventus over two legs.

That defeat did not overshadow their achievements, however, as Monaco brushed aside Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund en route to the semi-finals.

A whirlwind five years

Monaco's triumph is all the more impressive given they finished eighth in Ligue 2, France's second division, five years ago, having been in and out of the relegation zone over the course of the 2011-2012 season.

The following season they finished top of Ligue 2 and returned to top-flight football.

Just two seasons later, they have scored over 104 goals, conceding just 29, on their way to being crowned the best team in France.

Four players from that Ligue 2 winning team are in Monaco's current title-winning squad: Goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, defender Andrea Raggi, winger Nabil Dirar and forward Germain.

What's next? 50 Cent...

Whether they struggle to hold onto the likes of Mbappe awaits to be seen, but the celebrations, prematurely, had already been put in place before Wednesday's victory.

On Wednesday morning, the club announced on Twitter that American rapper 50 Cent would be performing at the players' victory party.

50 Cent to perform at Monaco's victory parade

A statement on the club's website read: "The American star will come to celebrate the excellent results of Falcao's team-mates this Sunday in the Palace Square in the Principality."

Before the party can begin, Monaco will end their season with an away trip to ninth placed Rennes on Saturday.

Line-ups

Monaco

Formation 4-4-2

  • 1Subasic
  • 19Sidibe
  • 25Glik
  • 5Jemerson
  • 23Mendy
  • 10Bernardo SilvaBooked at 67minsSubstituted forGermainat 69'minutes
  • 8João Moutinho
  • 2Fabinho
  • 27Lemar
  • 9FalcaoSubstituted forCarrilloat 88'minutes
  • 29MbappeSubstituted forRaggiat 90+1'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6de Oliveira Moraes
  • 11Carrillo
  • 14Bakayoko
  • 16De Sanctis
  • 18Germain
  • 24Raggi
  • 38Touré

Saint-Étienne

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 16Ruffier
  • 2Théophile-Catherine
  • 4LacroixBooked at 78mins
  • 19Pogba
  • 31MaigaSubstituted forClémentat 21'minutes
  • 14Veretout
  • 18LemoineSubstituted forRocha Santosat 85'minutes
  • 3Polomat
  • 32Nordin
  • 11Saivet
  • 23SøderlundSubstituted forHamoumaat 68'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Clément
  • 21Hamouma
  • 27Beric
  • 30Moulin
  • 33Pierre Gabriel
  • 34Rocha Santos
  • 35Nade
Referee:
Clément Turpin
Attendance:
14,299

Match Stats

Home TeamMonacoAway TeamSaint-Étienne
Possession
Home63%
Away37%
Shots
Home14
Away5
Shots on Target
Home5
Away3
Corners
Home10
Away4
Fouls
Home6
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Monaco 2, St Etienne 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Monaco 2, St Etienne 0.

  3. Goal!

    Goal! Monaco 2, St Etienne 0. Valère Germain (Monaco) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thomas Lemar following a fast break.

  4. Substitution

    Substitution, Monaco. Andrea Raggi replaces Kylian Mbappe.

  5. Post update

    Foul by João Moutinho (Monaco).

  6. Post update

    Jérémy Clément (St Etienne) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Monaco. Guido Carrillo replaces Falcao.

  8. Post update

    Attempt missed. Kenny Rocha Santos (St Etienne) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jordan Veretout with a cross following a corner.

  9. Post update

    Corner, St Etienne. Conceded by Kamil Glik.

  10. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, St Etienne. Kenny Rocha Santos replaces Fabien Lemoine.

  12. Post update

    Delay in match Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) because of an injury.

  13. Post update

    Attempt saved. Valère Germain (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fabinho.

  14. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  15. Post update

    Delay in match Falcao (Monaco) because of an injury.

  16. Booking

    Leo Lacroix (St Etienne) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  17. Post update

    Falcao (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Leo Lacroix (St Etienne).

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Valère Germain (Monaco) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Kylian Mbappe.

  20. Post update

    Attempt missed. Falcao (Monaco) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a corner.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Monaco372953104297592
2PSG37275582265686
3Nice372211460332777
4Lyon372131374452966
5Marseille3716111056411559
6Bordeaux371513952421058
7Nantes37149144051-1151
8Saint-Étienne371214114039150
9Rennes371214113439-550
10Guingamp37138164553-847
11Toulouse371013143741-443
12Lille37127183747-1043
13Angers37127183849-1143
14Metz371110163971-3243
15Montpellier37109184864-1639
16Dijon37812174658-1236
17Caen37106213564-2936
18Lorient37105224369-2635
19Bastia37810192953-2434
20Nancy3788212651-2532
View full French Ligue 1 table

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