AS Monaco suffered a second defeat in as many games this season as Girondins de Bordeaux came from behind to beat the principality club 4-1 on Sunday.
Dimitar Berbatov gave the visitors the lead at the Stade Chaban Delmas just before halftime, but having lost at home to Lorient the previous weekend, Leonardo Jardim’s side collapsed in the face of a brilliant Bordeaux second-half performance.
Two goals from Uruguayan striker Diego Rolan, and penalties from Emiliano Sala and Wahbi Khazri made it two wins out of two for Les Girondins, who are top of the fledgling table with a maximum six points after a fine start under new coach Willy Sagnol.
Photo: AFP
Jardim hit out at the referee, claiming the official made two crucial errors that altered the course of the game.
“After those mistakes, there was no match,” the Monaco coach said. “But we have to keep working and believing in the players. I am convinced also that there’ll be no more errors, I believe that French referees are good referees.”
Radamel Falcao was again left on the Monaco bench at kickoff, although Jardim did make five changes to his team, including recalling Jeremy Toulalan in midfield.
Goalkeeper Danijel Subasic had to beat away a Khazri free-kick, but Monaco took the lead in the final minute of the opening period when Valere Germain’s right-wing cross was headed into the net at the far post by Bulgarian striker Berbatov.
Sagnol, who played in the last Monaco side to win the title in 1999-2000, reshuffled his tactical setup at the break and Bordeaux required only three minutes to draw level, Rolan turning the ball in after Julien Faubert’s cross had been headed back across goal by former Bayern Munich fullback Diego Contento.
Argentine striker Sala, making his first Ligue 1 start, then scored from the penalty spot after Aymen Abdennour was harshly adjudged to have fouled his fellow Tunisian Khazri inside the area.
Monaco sent on Falcao, but they fell further behind in the 65th minute when Rolan, in an offside position, converted after Lamine Sane had headed on a free-kick.
There was worse to come with quarter of an hour remaining as Khazri scored from the spot after drawing a foul from Subasic just inside the box.
AS Saint-Etienne are the only other side to have won their opening two matches after they also came from behind to beat Stade de Reims 3-1 at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
However, like Jardim, new Olympique de Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa is finding the adaptation to life in Ligue 1 something of a challenge.
After Marseille threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 against SC Bastia last week, his first home game at the helm ended in a chorus of jeers after a deflating 2-0 defeat to southern rivals Montpellier Herault, whose goals came from Anthony Mounier and Morgan Sanson.
The Stade Velodrome was holding its first game since work finished on a new main stand, completing the refurbishment done for Euro 2016, which France is to host, and the game was watched by a crowd of more than 50,000.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed Italy midfielder Thiago Motta had a broken nose after Bastia striker Brandao headbutted him in the tunnel at the end of their match on Saturday.
Additional reporting by AP
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