Folarin Balogun matches Neymar’s scoring run; Paul Pogba makes his comeback.
Folarin Balogun netted a goal for the seventh consecutive Ligue 1 match, while Paul Pogba made his return from injury, but AS Monaco suffered a 4-1 defeat against Paris FC on Friday.
Paris FC found the net three times within the first 24 minutes, setting the stage for a decisive victory that halted Monaco’s seven-match winning streak.
United States forward Balogun scored in the 36th minute, maintaining his impressive form and becoming the first player since Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 to score in seven consecutive matches in France’s top division.
He is now just one match away from matching Monaco’s record for the most consecutive Ligue 1 games with a goal, a record shared by Shabani Nonda and Rony Lopes.
Pogba entered the match as a substitute in the 69th minute, marking his first appearance since early December after an extended absence due to a recurring left calf injury.
The 2018 World Cup champion Pogba signed a two-year deal with Monaco last summer, but prior to Friday, he had played only around 30 minutes since his debut at the end of November.
Jonathan IkonΓ© scored twice, sandwiching a goal from Italian Ciro Immobile, to give the home team an early advantage. Paris substitute Luca Koleosho added a fourth goal in the 71st minute, furthering the club’s impressive performance under Antoine KombouarΓ©, who was appointed in late February.
The capital team has remained unbeaten in six matches since his arrival, accumulating 12 points out of a possible 18 during this stretch.
This defeat was a significant setback for Monaco, which remains in fifth place in the standings as it seeks a position in next season’s Champions League.
The top three teams qualify directly for the next season’s Champions League, while the fourth-placed team enters the qualifying rounds.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
