Ligue 1: AS Monaco falls to Lille after Giroud’s stoppage-time winner

Undone by a stoppage-time goal from Olivier Giroud, AS Monaco conceded their first defeat of the season against LOSC Lille at the end of the second matchday in Ligue 1 (1-0).

On the road at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the players from the Rock met a LOSC outfit that will certainly be a serious competitor in the race for the Champions League.

After 90 minutes of fierce battling, it was Giroud that found the breakthrough at the death, sealing Lille’s triumph with a late strike, which served as a devastating blow for ASM and their supporters, who were present in large numbers in the away section to support their team.

*ASM supporters turned out in force to support their team © AS Monaco*

The Match

While the heat was on early, AS Monaco did not give in and were dominant to start proceedings, with Caio Henrique particularly impressive on the left flank to give his opponents major headaches. The Brazilian then almost helped ASM open the scoring, but Maghnes Akliouche failed to make the desired contact (9′). Then, thanks to some effective harrying, the young French playmaker regained the ball and pinpointed Folarin Balogun, whose header went wide (14′).

At the heart of ASM’s strong opening, Akliouche continued to cause problems for the Lille defence. Launched by Aleksandr Golovin, the gifted youngster frustratingly lost his duel with Berke Özer (18′) before being denied by Romain Perraud following a low delivery by Henrique (20′).

An unsettled Lille then enjoyed some opportunities of their own, as Thomas Meunier tried his luck with a long-range blast that was just off target (19′), and Hakon Haraldsson missed his one-on-one (22′).

The debates steadily became more balanced, but at the end of the half, Les Monegasques came closest to making the difference when Lamine Camara recovered high and fed Akliouche, but his left-footed curling attempt drifted just centimetres wide (39′).

Less inspired after the interval, Monaco saw their chances dwindle. The first thrill of the second stanza was to the credit of the home side: a shot unleashed by Ayyoub Bouaddi and deflected by Christian Mawissa that flirted with Lukáš Hrádecký’s crossbar (61′). Ten minutes later, ASM were still shaking when a header from Nathan Ngoy and then a volley from Giroud failed at the foot of their right (69′) and left (74′) posts.

Eager to turn the tide, Adi Hütter decided to inject some fresh blood by simultaneously throwing on Vanderson, Mika Biereth and Eliesse Ben Seghir. An ambitious gamble, which ultimately didn’t change the face of the fixture.

Just when the two clubs seemed well on their way to sharing the points, Giroud struck late to propel his team to victory, as the 2018 World Cup winner pivoted perfectly and catapulted his finish beyond Hrádecký’s reach (1-0, 90’+1).

Almost immediately, Matías Fernández-Pardo surged down the right and won a penalty, but Giroud couldn’t convert on this occasion (90’+8). All in all, it was a cruel ending for AS Monaco, who were forced to return empty-handed from their long trip to northern France.

𝗙𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 🔚

L'AS Monaco s'incline sur la pelouse du LOSC.

1️⃣-0️⃣ #LOSCASM pic.twitter.com/LI9SWfJFgG
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) August 24, 2025

Hütter’s Debrief

Demanding more after prevailing vs Le Havre, Adi Hütter did not hide his disappointment with the team’s second-half performance, insisting: “We’re unsatisfied, that’s for sure. We’re disappointed with the defeat. I saw two different halves. I think we were much more lively in the first half. We had three good chances to score, and we have to succeed in converting them, even more so here in Lille. In the second half, we gradually lost control of the ball, and I wasn’t satisfied with our performance. Conceding that goal in added time was very tough, but in the end, LOSC deserved their victory.”

Zakaria’s Reaction

A feeling shared by his captain, as Denis Zakaria’s post-match comments were also full of regret regarding this result. “I think it’s never easy to come and play here. We messed up on the details, and we paid for it today. It’s all about accuracy, concentration and the desire to win for 90 minutes. We came here to take three points and we missed the opportunity to do it tonight,” he reflected.