Ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona, AS Monaco secured an impressive 3-0 away victory over Auxerre over the weekend, extending their undefeated record in France’s Ligue 1 this season.

AS Monaco entered Auxerre’s Stade Abbé-Deschamps on 14th September with high hopes of boosting their points tally in the Ligue 1 table, and they were not disappointed.

The Rouges et Blancs took control from the start, with a spectacular header from Thilo Kehrer only eight minutes in. This was followed in the 25th minute by a goal from Brazilian sensation Vanderson, who scored after a clean pass from captain Denis Zakaria.

In the second half, the team’s goals had all but come to a halt until the very last minute, when Zakaria added a third, cementing AS Monaco’s 3-0 victory.

“I think we played a good game. The only negative point is that we were not able to be more decisive,” said Zakaria after the match. “But we are happy with the final score, and I am pleased to have been able to help the team today by scoring. It is important to be there for the team, and that is what I managed to do along with Thilo, the vice-captain.”

The extra points have put AS Monaco neck and neck with second-placed Marseille in the Ligue 1 standings, and only two points behind the perennial top team, Paris Saint-Germain.

See more: Football: AS Monaco to face Barcelona, Inter Milan and Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League

The win is a real confidence builder ahead of the club’s upcoming UEFA Champions League match, the first of the season, against powerhouses FC Barcelona at Stade Louis II in Monaco on Thursday 19th September.

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Photo credit: AS Monaco