PLAYER RATINGS | Monaco 2-0 Marseille: Lamine Camara and Paris Brunner star in resounding win

PLAYER RATINGS | Monaco 2-0 Marseille: Lamine Camara and Paris Brunner star in resounding win Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Matchday 2, 30/08/26 Paris Brunner netted a stunning brace as AS Monaco beat rivals Olympique de Marseille at the Stade Louis II, in what could feasibly be Lamine Camara’s final game for the Principality club. The Match Without needing to force the issue, Monaco took the lead thanks to a simple header from Paris Brunner, unmarked, from the second phase of a set-piece. CJ Egan-Riley was at sixes and sevens as the German netted his third goal of the season but his first in Ligue 1. The former Borussia Dortmund man almost doubled his tally on the night with a volley soon after. After initially failing to connect with Stanis Idumbo’s cross, he was given a second bite of the cherry and hit it sweetly but straight at Jeffrey De Lange. Half chances for Denis Zakaria and Stanis Idumbo followed; OM couldn’t muster a chance of their own. But there were two changes at the break, Keyliane Abdallah for Himad Abdelli and Tochukwu Nnadi for Crystal Palace-linked Quinten Timber. Abdallah, who netted last week, almost got another, popping up in the box but failing to make good contact. Lukas Hradecky was there to sweep up, but there was more intent from Marseille and that was confirmed when, seconds later, Angel Gomes worked space on the edge of the box, but fired over. Timothy Weah then struck the outside of the post, but moments later, Bruno Genesio’s side were distanced. It was Brunner who humbled Geoffrey Kondogbia, turning him on the halfway line before then bursting into the box, cutting inside the OM defender, and then Egan-Riley and then calmly slotting beyond Jeffrey De Lange. Three games, four goals for the German. It couldn’t get worse, could it? It could. Seconds later, Kondogbia went down injured and was booed by his own fans on his way down the tunnel. Nnadi and Gomes then had scares. Both were ultimately forced off, despite initially continuing. Not what this threadbare OM team needs. Needing goals, OM couldn’t create the chances needed to score them, or at least not enough. Amine Gouiri, largely absent on the night, brought down a ball, but, falling backwards, could only hit his shot at Vanderson, who had initially lost his man. Neal Maupay blasted a shot over and Faris Moumbagna had a shot blocked by Vanderson at the back post, but ASM never looked like ceding their advantage. Monaco are the only side to have won their first two Ligue 1 games; signs of worry now for OM. Monaco player ratings Lukas Hradecky – 5 Nazinho – 6 Eric Dier – 7 A man who looked highly likely to leave earlier in the summer has enjoyed a remarkable return to prominence and to form. He netted the winner last week and was dominant here. His serenity on the ball and ability to play a range of passes were valuable for the Principality club. Sadibou Sané – 7 Vanderson – 5 Lamine Camara – 9 Whilst Brunner may have netted one of the goals of the Ligue 1 season, it was Camara who stole the show with his all-action performance. He was absolutely everywhere: winning duels, gaining metres, and covering spaces. If this is to be his last dance in a Monaco shirt, he will be sorely missed on this showing, perhaps his greatest for the Principality club. Denis Zakaria – 6 Stanis Idumbo – 5 Aleksandr Golovin – 5 Mamadou Coulibaly – 4 Paris Brunner – 8 Folarin Balogun watched on as his prospective replacement lit up the Stade Louis II. Balogun was excellent with his back to goal last season and was clinical in front of it; Brunner replicated that on a night when he really announced himself as one of Ligue 1’s prospects to watch this season. Marseille player ratings Jeffrey De Lange – 4 Emerson – 5 CJ Egan-Riley – 3 Geoffrey Kondogbia – 2 The veteran defender was humbled by Brunner, who absolutely dominated his one-on-one battle, which reached its crescendo just after half-time when Brunner turned him and sat him down on Monaco’s second goal. Judging by OM fans’ reaction, they want him gone. Timothy Weah – 6 Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 4 Angel Gomes – 5 Quinten Timber – 4 Replaced by Tochukwu Nnadi ( N/A ). The midfielder, injured, did not complete the match. Himad Abdelli – 3 Replaced by Keylian Abdallah ( 4 ). Amine Gouiri – 4 There is too great an expectation for Gouiri to compensate for what OM have lost in attack over the summer. He struggled tonight. He simply wasn’t in the game, even as he dropped deeper and deeper to try and play a more prominent role. He had one half chance, but didn’t take it. He came up against two centre-backs in Sadibou Sané and Dier, who had strong matches. Amine Harit – 3 Given a second chance due to OM’s dire financial situation, he didn’t show himself to be worthy of one. The playmaker never got into this game. GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco