Monaco’s week went from bad to worse as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Lille in Ligue 1 on Saturday, just days after crashing out of the Champions League against Benfica.
Hakon Haraldsson was the hero for Lille, scoring twice in the first half to propel his side into third place—a position that guarantees automatic Champions League qualification.
Meanwhile, Monaco slipped to fifth, continuing their slide after a promising start to the season.
Haraldsson opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a precise left-footed finish before doubling his tally three minutes before halftime.
Takumi Minamino pulled one back for Monaco in first-half stoppage time, but Lille held firm to secure a vital three points.
The win sets up Lille for a massive week ahead, as they travel to Paris Saint-Germain next weekend before facing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last 16.
Monaco, once level with PSG after the first eight games, have now lost seven of their last 15 league matches. Adi Hütter’s side will need to regroup quickly if they are to stay in the race for European football.
Elsewhere, Nice can reclaim third place when they host Montpellier on Sunday, while Marseille, sitting second, face Auxerre as they try to keep pace with runaway leaders PSG.
