Hamstrung by a controversial refereeing decision, AS Monaco lost 4-1 at the hands of Lens on Saturday, succumbing to back-to-back defeats in Ligue 1 for the first time since October 2024.

It was a night of what-ifs at the Stade Louis II. Aleksandr Golovin had the chance to give this match a completely different complexion. The Russian benefited from a defensive error from the visitors. Allowed to run half the pitch unimpeded, with all 10 of Lens’ outfield players up for a corner, he could not beat the one man who stood in his way, Robin Risser. The Lens goalkeeper thwarted Golovin’s attempts to round him. Monaco would give Lens plenty of gifts later in the game, but unlike the Principality club, the visitors didn’t pass them up.

Folarin Balogun went close just moments later, but once again could not beat Risser. But Sébastien Pocognoli’s side soon found themselves trailing. Odsonne Édouard had already gone close with a header off the inside of the post, juggled but ultimately caught by the grateful Philipp Kohn. He didn’t pass up his second invitation, which came courtesy of a misplaced Thilo Kehrer pass, straight to Florian Thauvin. The ball fell to Édouard via Adrien Thomasson, and he made no mistake with Kohn on the ground and out of mind.

Scuro denounces “unacceptable” red card

Just as it did against Paris FC a week earlier, which consigned Monaco to their first league defeat at home in 2025, the verve and intensity quickly seeped out of Monaco’s game after a strong start. But they were handed an equaliser. Balogun came in between Mamadou Sangaré and the ball, eliciting the contact, falling, getting back up, and slotting home from the penalty spot.

The UMSNT forward would have a greater bearing on this game, but not in a positive sense. Having worked their way back into the game, Monaco fell back behind courtesy of some more sloppy defending. Jordan Teze and Kehrer were at sixes and sevens, allowing Wesley Said ample space to finish at Kohn’s near post.

Les Monégasques needed to use the break to regather themselves, but before they could do so, the match was put beyond them. Balogun, having scored, was then shown red. Bastien Dechepy took his time to produce the red card for Balogun’s tackle on Sangaré, but once he did, VAR did not contradict him.

“For me, it is not acceptable that this situation is a red card. Especially when you look at the criteria. We had similar situations during the game but nothing was given. We don’t understand why VAR didn’t intervene in this situation. By the rules, it shouldn’t be a red card, and it had a massive impact on the game,” said Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro, who passed through the mixed zone post-match to denounce the refereeing display.

Lens exploit “favourable” conditions

But for Scuro, as for Pocognoli, it was not about finding excuses, even if plenty were posited, from the refereeing, to the scheduling, the absentees… Even Lens manager Pierre Sage alluded to “favourable” conditions for his side, but as he noted, they still had to be “exploited”, and they certainly were.

Just seconds after Balogun’s red, the man on the receiving end of that consequential challenge, Sangaré, was up on his feet and bursting through the defence, finishing low to Kohn’s right, ensuring that Lens headed into the break two goals and one man to the good; the game was decided, the second-half an epilogue of an already completed novel.

Les Sang et Or, buoyed by their vocal fans, who had travelled en masse, extended their lead to three goals as Said doubled his account, this time with a near-post header. There were chances to extend that lead: Matthieu Udol had a half-volley saved off the line, and Rayan Fofana contrived to miss the target from around the penalty spot when it looked harder to miss.

But the feeling of insignificance was predominant in the second half. It was epitomised by Ansu Fati’s late miss from the spot. The awarding of the penalty, extremely harsh after an adjudged handball from Andrija Bulatovic, was met with a muted response from the crowd, and the miss from Fati was one of absolute apathy. By the time the full-time whistle had gone, Monaco had already come to terms with the loss some 50 minutes earlier, and many had already headed towards the exits.

Pogba to return against Rennes?

“It is a big disappointment tonight,” admitted Scuro, although Pocognoli insisted on a “measured response”, despite the severity of the scoreline on the night. “There is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster in between these good and then more mixed performances, that is why I am quite reserved in victory but also in defeat,” added the Belgian, who, having replaced Adi Hutter one month ago, has seven points from a possible 15 in Ligue 1.

It means that Monaco go into the international break on a low note, but the break is certainly a welcome one. “Some [players] will be able to have a breather,” said Pocognoli, who will nonetheless see many of his players fly off to the four corners of the globe to represent their national teams. But it isn’t just about the players. “For my staff and I, it will be good to have a breather for a few days because since I arrived, we’ve been working rigorously,” added the Monaco manager.

But more importantly, it should be a new-look Monaco when they face Rennes on November 22nd. “So many key players will be back, and that will make us stronger,” said Scuro. Denis Zakaria, who came off the bench in the defeat on Saturday night, Lamine Camara, Vanderson, Eric Dier, and Lukas Hradecky are all expected to return… as is Paul Pogba. “I expect that he can have some minutes and start to show himself in Ligue 1,” revealed Scuro. With or without Pogba, Monaco must show a reaction.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo source: AS Monaco