Oct 6, V7N-Monaco climbed to the top of the Ligue 1 table on Saturday with a 2-1 victory against Rennes, putting them three points ahead of reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain. Thilo Kehrer and Folarin Balogun scored to bring Monaco to 19 points. PSG, currently on 16 points but with a better goal difference, will have the opportunity to overtake Monaco when they face Nice on Sunday.

Monaco coach Adi Huetter expressed satisfaction with his team's strong start, saying, "After seven games, we have 19 points... we're really happy about that." However, he emphasized the long season ahead, noting, "The championship is not a 100-meter sprint, it's a 400-meter race."

The decisive moments of the match came in the first half. Kehrer opened the scoring in the sixth minute, with Ludovic Blas equalizing for Rennes shortly after with a stunning 35-yard strike. Balogun secured the win for Monaco in the 22nd minute, assisted by a defence-splitting pass from Monaco youngster Eliesse Ben Seghir, who was instrumental in both of Monaco's goals.

In other Saturday action, Lille came from behind to beat Toulouse 2-1. Zakaria Aboukhlal gave Toulouse a surprising lead before Angel Gomes equalized for Lille, and Mitchel Bakker sealed the win with a composed finish.

Meanwhile, Saint-Etienne moved out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over Auxerre, thanks to a hat-trick from Zuriko Davitashvili. The Georgian opened the scoring with a powerful finish, added a second in the 54th minute, and completed his hat-trick with a delicate chip in the 87th minute.

On Sunday, Lyon will host Nantes, while Reims and Lens will also be in action before PSG’s crucial match against ninth-placed Nice.

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