Nigerian eligible striker, George Ilenikhena came from the bench to score a brace as Monaco thrashed Nantes 7-1 at the Stade Louis II on Saturday.
Monaco were under pressure to win after suffering a 4-1 drubbing by league leaders PSG and a 1-0 loss to Benfica in the Champions League playoff. Similarly, Nantes sought a victory after a 2-0 loss to Brest in their previous Ligue 1 match.
Nantes made a strong start, scoring within five minutes as Moses Simon provided an assist for Matthis Abline to net the opening goal. However, their momentum was short-lived, as Nicolas Cozza received a straight red card, handing Monaco a numerical advantage that paved the way for a comeback.
Monaco capitalized on the advantage, taking the lead before halftime with late goals from Mika Biereth and Takumi Minamino. The second half saw a flurry of goals, with Nantes struggling to cope with being a man down as goals from Eliesse Ben Seghir and Mika Biereth extended Monaco’s lead to 5-1.
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Mika Biereth’s performance was particularly impressive, stealing the show with another hatrick after his first for Monaco against Auxerre, increasing his goal tally to seven since joining the Ligue 1 side in January.
Supporters enjoyed more joy after Mika Biereth’s hatrick as George Ilenikhena, who entered the game in the 61st minute, scored his first goal 20 minutes after coming on and added a second just before the final whistle, marking his first brace since joining Monaco.
The resounding victory propelled Monaco to 40 points in 22 games, three points ahead of fourth-placed Nice, who have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Nantes dropped to 15th on the Ligue 1 standings with 21 points.
Monaco’s next challenge is the second leg of their Champions League playoff clash, where they aim to overturn the deficit and secure qualification to the round of 16. Nantes, meanwhile, will seek to bounce back from the heavy defeat when they host Lens.
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