Ligue 1: AS Monaco outclasses Le Havre in convincing 3-1 victory
© AS Monaco
AS Monaco kicked off their 2025/2026 season in style at the Stade Louis-II with a commanding 3-1 win over Le Havre, capitalising on an own goal before strikes from Eric Dier and Maghnes Akliouche sealed the victory.
After seven weeks of preparation and eight pre-season matches (five wins, two draws, one loss), AS Monaco officially returned to action this Saturday vs Le Havre on the opening day of their Ligue 1 campaign.
Under the gaze of Prince Albert II of Monaco and club President Dmitry Rybolovlev, Adi Hütter’s men did what was necessary to get the better of the Normandy team to secure all three points. A precious victory, the 1100th in the history of ASM in the elite of French football, was made all the more special in front of a crowd who came in large numbers and were delighted to see their team triumph.
© AS Monaco
The Match
Le Havre made a somewhat surprising choice to press high to begin, but Monaco handled the early pressure with composure – particularly thanks to Lamine Camara and Denis Zakaria, who remained calm and helped their side match the physical intensity of the visitors. Despite their positive intentions, Le Havre struggled to create real danger, and Monaco, for their part, also found it difficult to trouble goalkeeper Mory Diaw. Attempts by Jordan Teze (10′) and Takumi Minamino (11′) were promising but came to nothing, while Mika Biereth missed a golden opportunity in the 18th minute, dragging his effort wide after a major defensive error from Arouna Sangante.
In control without being sharp enough in the final third, the Principality outfit ultimately needed a little help from their opponents to make the difference. Off-centre on the right side, Aleksandr Golovin received the ball, crossed hard in front of goal and saw Gautier Lloris deflect the ball into his own goal (1-0, 32nd). Sensing their adversaries wavering, ASM pushed on and came close to doubling the lead before the interval when Akliouche – inheriting the ball in the area – produced a superb volley that hit the post (45th + 3).
After the break, possession was with Monaco, but opportunities were still few and far between. Less effective in the game, ASM relied on set pieces to maintain a threat, and on a corner sent in by Camara, Dier rose higher than everyone else to beat Diaw (2-0, 61st) to mark his debut by scoring a vital first goal for the Red and Whites.
Le 1er but d'Eric Dier sous la tunique monégasque ! 🌟
— L1+ (@ligue1plus) August 16, 2025
Vous avez apprécié ? Paul Pogba aussi visiblement 😜#ASMHAC pic.twitter.com/uMh0oZzaaO
The die then seemed cast for the unthreatening Ciel et Marine, but they showed admirable fight to stay in the game. Launched on the left flank, Rassoul NDiaye struck after outwitting Vanderson to unleash a low shot that left Lukáš Hradecký helpless (2-1, 67th).
As the encounter entered its final twenty minutes, Monaco looked in complete control. But just as Le Havre appeared poised to mount a response, the hosts found the back of the net again. Making the most of a swift counter, Zakaria surged down the right and delivered a perfect ball across goal for Akliouche, who finished with aplomb (3–1, 76’). It was the final blow to seal the victory and allowed Monaco to celebrate their first win of the new crusade.
Hutter’s Debrief
While the victory and the three points were confirmed, Hütter was far from satisfied, as he knows his squad have the quality to produce far more accomplished performances. “In football, for me, two things matter. The first is the result, and I’m happy to win the first match, which is always important. We deserved to win; we dominated. But I can’t be satisfied with the performance,” he insisted.
“We can do much better; the team has the quality to create more chances, in my opinion. And we’ll do better, because the next two opponents (Lille and Strasbourg) will be stronger. And to be honest, our expectations are very high! We played too slowly in the first half. It’s not easy to play against a deep block, they do it well. I think we lacked a bit of quick play, intensity and aggression.”
Dier Reacts
English recruit Dier cut a content figure when reacting in the mixed zone after his strong Monaco debut, reflecting: “It’s a very good day. I was a bit in the dark for this first match; I didn’t really know what to expect. Scoring is a bonus, but the most important thing is that we won. I attacked the zone where I should be, and Lamine Camara delivered a good cross. We did what we wanted to do very well, and I’m happy to score this second goal.”
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (1.76 to 0.60), total shots (13 to 9), shots on target (4 to 3), big chances created (2 to 0), touches inside the box (30 to 8), passes in the opposition half (374 to 62) and overall duels won (44 to 39) illustrated they were deserved winners.
Lille Up Next
With this 1100th victory for the club in the books, Monaco temporarily sits top of the Ligue 1 standings. Les Monegasques’ next clash is set for Sunday the 24th of August at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy against Lille, where another win will be firmly in their sights.