Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Monaco maintained their unbeaten start at the top of Ligue 1 with a 2-1 win over Lens on Friday, but captain Denis Zakaria said the international break comes at a good time following their “poorest game of the season”.
A late own goal from Jonathan Gradit sealed all three points for Filipe Luis’ team at Stade Louis-II, after Paris Brunner’s opener had been cancelled out by Matthieu Udol.
Monaco now have 13 points on the board after five Ligue 1 games, with Lille and Rennes – who have away games this weekend, at Lyon and Nice respectively – the only teams able to leapfrog them before the extended three-week hiatus.
But Zakaria feels there is plenty for Monaco to work on after they were restricted to just nine shots by Lens, though they did win the expected goals (xG) battle by 1.75 to 1.19.
“We’ve had a really good start to the league campaign, but it’s only the beginning,” he told the club’s website.
“Nevertheless, I think we played our poorest game of the season so far tonight… We were sloppy technically, and fatigue played a part too, so this international break comes at a good time and will allow us to recover.
“I think we have a strong group, and Filipe Luis is helping us build a strong mentality, so it bodes well for the future.”
Monaco have now picked up 44 points in Ligue 1 in 2026 (W13 D5 L5), with only champions Paris Saint-Germain (45) having a higher total since the start of the year (Rennes have 42 before facing Lyon on Saturday).
7 matches
6 wins
1 draw pic.twitter.com/jKmjOj36j9
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) September 18, 2026
Asked how high Monaco could aim this campaign, Zakaria said: “It’s only the start of the season.
“It’s up to us to remain highly professional, to work hard, and take it one game at a time.”
With Monaco unbeaten in seven games under Luis overall, the former Copa Libertadores-winning Flamengo boss has made the joint-longest unbeaten start by any Monaco coach this century, alongside Claudio Ranieri in 2012.
Monaco host Toulouse in their first game after the international break, on October 10, before visiting CSKA Sofia in the Conference League five days later.
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