Monaco grind out vital Ligue 1 win over Lens thanks to Gradit own goal
Reviewed by Elison · Sat 19 Sep 2026Ligue 1
MonacoFULL-TIME
LensFriday 18 September 2026 · 20:45
Our score 1-1MissedHot tip Full-time draw✗ Lost
Monaco claimed all three points in a hard-fought Ligue 1 encounter, edging out Lens 2-1 in a match that ebbed and flowed throughout. The victory extends Monaco’s unbeaten run to five matches, while Lens have now lost three of their last five, failing to keep a clean sheet in any of them.
How the game unfolded
A penalty awarded to Lens was overturned by VAR on 20 minutes, and Monaco made the home advantage count shortly after. Paris Brunner broke the deadlock on 32 minutes, finishing off an assist from Matthis Abline to give Monaco a 1-0 lead at the break.
Lens made a change at the start of the second half, with Jean-Clair Todibo replaced by Jonathan Gradit on 46 minutes. Florian Thauvin was booked on 53 minutes, then turned provider four minutes later, assisting Matthieu Udol to level the scores at 1-1 on 57 minutes. Lamine Camara was booked on 71 minutes as the contest grew more combative.
The decisive moment came on 84 minutes when Gradit, who had come on as a substitute at the start of the second half, turned the ball into his own net to hand Monaco a 2-1 lead. That is how it finished, with Monaco holding on for a victory that featured both teams scoring for the third time in their last three meetings.
The numbers
The statistics paint a picture of a competitive contest between two well-matched sides. Possession was level at 50% each, with Monaco completing 531 passes to Lens’s 528. Monaco were more clinical in front of goal, landing six of their nine attempts on target, while the Monaco goalkeeper was called upon three times. Lens, by contrast, had the greater volume of shots — 12 in total, with ten coming from inside the box — but only four found the target, with five saves required from the Lens goalkeeper. The visitors threatened consistently from set-piece situations, earning eight corner kicks to Monaco’s two, yet were unable to convert that territorial pressure into goals. Both sides received one yellow card each, and neither was reduced to ten men.
Conclusion
Monaco showed the sort of resilience that characterises winning sides, recovering from conceding an equaliser to secure the points through a fortunate but nonetheless deserved winner. Lens worked hard and created plenty, but their inability to convert a VAR-cancelled penalty and a host of second-half opportunities ultimately cost them. The three points go to Monaco, who will take confidence from grinding out a result when it mattered most.
