The hosts had won each of the last four H2Hs on home soil, but as they went in search of a response to their loss to Lille last time out, they were caught cold inside the opening 15 minutes. Only a VAR review saved them from falling behind, as Jeremy Le Douaron’s strike was ruled out for the tightest of offsides.
Five minutes later, Monaco made the most of that reprieve and drew first blood, largely thanks to an error from visiting goalkeeper Marco Bizot. The Dutchman came to collect a corner, but was beaten to the punch by Denis Zakaria who powered home a header for his first goal in Monaco colours.
Adi Hutter’s men were next to be denied, as a smart finish from Folarin Balogun was also chalked off by a marginal offside call.
Eric Roy’s men – who had seen their preparation for this game disrupted by adverse weather conditions back home – thought they’d levelled moments later when Lilian Brassier headed home.
But for the third time in the opening half-hour alone, officials intervened as he had strayed offside, cutting his celebrations short.
Quality in the final third was at a premium in the opening 45 minutes, and it all-but disappeared after the restart. It looked as if only a fleeting moment of inspiration would decide the game either way, and thankfully for the hosts, they produced it.
The introduction of Wissam Ben Yedder sparked an improvement, and he was heavily involved in a move that saw Youssouf Fofana pick out Golovin, and the Russian applied a sumptuous finish into the corner.
To give credit where it's due, Brest didn’t fall to defeat meekly, as Brendan Chardonnet was denied by the post before Pierre Lees-Melou rifled the crossbar, as the visitors’ pressure intensified despite the mountain they had to climb. But Monaco held firm as Brest eventually ran out of steam in their comeback efforts.
Consequently, Brest’s winless run now extends to five matches, while Monaco reaffirmed their title credentials, moving to within a point of reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain thanks to a third successive victory over their opponents.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Aleksandr Golovin (Monaco)
