The Japan Times - Balogun strike in vain as Monaco suffer heavy defeat

Balogun made it nine goals in his last nine games but the principality side were already 3-0 down at that point with Jonathan Ikone netting twice for the hosts either side of a Ciro Immobile goal.

Luca Koleosho's superb second-half strike secured the biggest win of the season for Paris FC, the club who won promotion to Ligue 1 at the end of the last campaign off the back of a takeover by the mega-rich Arnault family.

The capital side, who play at the Stade Jean-Bouin directly across the road from Paris Saint-Germain's Parc des Princes, are unbeaten in seven games including six since the appointment of Antoine Kombouare as coach in late February.

This win effectively secures their survival, as they move 12 points clear of the relegation zone with five matches to play.

However, the defeat is a big setback for Monaco, who saw Paul Pogba come on as a second-half substitute.

They had come into this game on a 10-match unbeaten run in Ligue 1 and with seven successive wins.

That had propelled them right into contention for a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League, but a first league loss since January leaves them fifth.

They are a point behind Lille, who play on Sunday, and trail Marseille on goal difference before OM host bottom club Metz later.

Lyon and Rennes are also both within two points of Monaco, who could therefore drop to seventh by Sunday -- seventh may not be enough to qualify for any European competition next season.

Paris FC were 2-0 up inside eight minutes with Ikone opening the scoring and former Italy striker Immobile grabbing his second goal since moving to France in the winter window.

Ikone got the home side's third on the counter-attack, to seemingly finish the game as a contest midway through the first half.

However, Balogun was slipped in and stabbed the ball home to pull one back on 36 minutes, meaning he has now scored in each of his team's last seven Ligue 1 outings and has 17 goals in all competitions this season.

But that did not spark a proper comeback, and neither did the 69th-minute introduction of Pogba.

The midfield star of the France team that won the World Cup in 2018 was given a rapturous reception by the crowd of 16,520 as he made just his fourth appearance for Monaco and his first since December.

He had been hoping to relaunch his career in the principality but the move has not worked out and he could only look on helplessly as Koleosho, on loan from Burnley, crashed in a sensational fourth for the hosts.

Leaders PSG's match against title rivals Lens scheduled for Saturday was postponed until next month to allow them to rest in between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.

M.Saito--JT