Monaco moved back to the summit of France on Friday night, edging Lens 2-1 in the principality to underline the bright early work of Filipe Luís. The Brazilian coach has urged calm rather than celebration, even as his side’s unbeaten opening has brought them 13 points from five Ligue 1 matches.
Monaco return to first place
- Monaco defeated Lens by two goals to one on Friday, taking first place in the French championship after the opening five rounds.
- The weekend programme could yet leave the leaders with company on 13 points. Rennes travel to Lyon on Saturday, while Lille are away to Nice on Sunday.
- Filipe Luís said the table should not distract Monaco from the longer demands of the campaign, regardless of whether they remain alone at the top by the end of the round.
“I want us to stay humble in this position,” Filipe Luís said after the Lens match. “I am pleased by what we have shown across the first five games, but the season is a marathon and there will be many difficult moments ahead.”
An unbeaten start across two competitions
Monaco have not lost an official fixture since Filipe Luís took charge. Their league record stands at four wins and one draw, while they have also collected two victories in the Conference League play-offs.
That run has been powered in part by Paris Brunner, the 20-year-old German forward who has become one of the early stories of Monaco’s season. Brunner spent last term on loan at Cercle Brugge, where he scored five times in 27 appearances. He has already matched that total in only six matches under Filipe Luís.
Brunner’s growing confidence
The Monaco coach believes the striker can go well beyond his current five-goal tally. He pointed to Brunner’s sharpness, commitment and renewed confidence, saying the player has changed markedly since his first week at the club.
Filipe Luís praised the forward’s energy and the passion he brings to the side, while making clear that Brunner’s ceiling will be defined by his own ambition. In the coach’s view, the German’s appetite to score is plain to see; what follows, he said, is now in the player’s hands.
