Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from Stade Louis II where AS Monaco take on Lyon in Ligue 1.

We have a great evening of Ligue 1 action in store for you. Later Paris Saint-Germain travel to face their bogey team Saint-Etienne, but first AS Monaco have the chance to move back to the top of the league as they host Lyon.

Monaco have topped the division for much of the season and remain unbeaten so far this term. However, they slipped to second last weekend following a 2-2 draw with Sochaux having raced to a two-goal lead in the match. Claudio Ranieri will be demanding a response from his players today.

Elsewhere, Lyon have had a shocking start to the season. Having been dumped out of the Champions League by Real Sociedad in the qualifiers and stuttered in the Europa League, Les Gones have not fared much better in the domestic campaign.
Admittedly, they have a huge amount of injuries and had little money to spend in the summer due to ongoing work on their new stadium, so Remi Garde has mainly had to rely on the club’s youth system along with wantaway strikers Jimmy Briand and Bafetimbi Gomis.

The likes of Maxime Gonalons, Clement Grenier and Alexandre Lacazette are all good players to have come through the ranks at Stade de Gerland and will be big hitters, but the fact that they are being asked to lead this teenage outfit is just too big of an ask at this stage.
They will improve as their casualties recover throughout the year, but they have already lost on four occasions this season which included defeats to struggling duo Ajaccio and Evian TG along with an absolute 5-1 hiding at Montpellier. They currently sit 14th and are falling away from the leaders so they need to get a shift on.

They have had one of their better weeks. Lyon snatched a late draw with Bordeaux last weekend before beating Rijeka in the Europa League on Thursday, so Garde will be hoping that their fortune is turning around.

On the other side of the coin, Monaco will be hoping that Ligue 1 top scorer Radamel Falcao can return to form, as he has failed to find the net in any of his last three appearances.

Right, time for the team news.

AS MONACO XI: Subasic, Raggi, Carvalho, Abidal, Kurzawa, Toulalan, Ferreira-Carrasco, Moutinho, Obbadi, Rodriguez, Falcao

So manager Claudio Ranieri has made two changes to the team that drew with Sochaux last weekend.

Defenders Fabinho and Marcel Tisserand drop to the bench, with Layvin Kurzawa and Eric Abidal being restored to the starting lineup.

It looks as if Monaco will be lining up in a 4-3-3, with Rodriguez and Obbadi flanking Falcao, while Moutinho, Ferreira-Carrasco and Toulalan make up the midfield trio.

Time for the Monaco bench.

AS MONACO BENCH: Romero, Fabinho, Tisserand, Kondogbia, Ocampos, Germain, Riviere

Right, and now time for the Lyon lineup.

LYON XI: Lopes, Bedimo, Bisevac, Dabo, Ferri, Fofana, Gonalons, Grenier, Malbranque, Briand, Gomis

Remi Garde has opted to make two alterations to his side following their win in Europe during the week.

Mehdi Zeffane and Alexandre Lacazette both fail to make the squad, while Henri Bedimo and Bafetimbi Gomis come into the first XI.

And just quickly, the Lyon bench.

LYON BENCH: Gorgelin, Sarr, Sanic, Mvemba, Plea, Tolisso, Benzia

The two teams are out and ready to go.

KICK OFF! Lyon, playing from left to right, get the match underway.

Monaco are sporting their traditional home kit of red and white shirts with white shorts and socks. Lyon are sporting their away strip of all navy.

It's been a good start from Monaco with two early attacks, but neither can test the Lyon goal.

SAVE! Comfortable enough a save for Lopes but a good move from Monaco. The ball is passed from the left inside to Falcao, who turns brilliantly away from two markers before firing a low shot from 25 yards out. However, it's along the ground and into the arms of Lopes.

Monaco have a free kick in a great position on the right. Their big men, Carvalho and Abidal, are forward.

Monaco give away a foul from the free kick as Ferreira-Carrasco is penalised for a high foot against Grenier on the edge of the box.

We've had 11 minutes here, and Monaco have dominated with 70% possession so far.

YELLOW CARD Ferreira-Carrasco is the first player into the book after pulling down Jordan Ferri.

Gomis is furious and screams at the referee after he concedes a free kick for tussling with Carvalho at the byeline.

Lyon are starting to get their foot on the ball a bit more now after Monaco's early dominance, but the game is yet to have a significant chance to test the keeper.

CHANCE! Monaco hit Lyon on the break and spray an early path to the left ot Ferreira-Carrasco. The young Belgian dribbles it to the edge of the box and tries to drill a shot towards the far top corner, but his effort didn't come down in time and flies over.

Monaco have a change on the right to cross, but Raggi overhits it and it goes behind for a goal kick.

Could have been an opportunity for Monaco there as Ferreira-Carrasco raced down the left and cut a pass back across the penalty area, but nobody followed it up and Lyon can clear.

It's been coming, but Monaco now lead thanks to Obbadi. The cross comes in from the left and is punched away by Lopes in a crowd of bodies. It then drops on the edge of the box to Obbadi, who unleashes a half-volley and sends it into the top corner.

It was a beautiful strike from Obbadi, there was simply no stopping it.

How will Lyon respond now? They've been under the cosh for most of this match but fell behind just as they were starting to get back into it.

CHANCE! A bizarre moment for Monaco as Subasic gets caught in possession outside the box. Briand busts a gut to get to the loose ball with an empty net ahead of him, but Kurzawa can spare his keeper's blushes and clear. Subasic just took his eyes of it and completely miscontrolled it.

Well his goalscoring drought is over, and in some style. Falcao brings down a lofted ball over the top brilliantly on the right before drawing out Lopes and brilliant dinking a chip over his head and into the back of the net. That's his eighth goal of the season.

Could that be game over for Lyon already?

That Falcao drought lasted exactly 307 minutes. Yet, he was still the division's top scorer before that goal.

Falcao finds himself one-on-one with Lopes once more, but fortunately for Lyon, he is flagged offside.

SAVE! Better from Lyon as Briand beats the offside trap before hitting a shot at goal, however, Subasic is equal to it and concedes the corner.

Monaco are back on the attack, and Lyon are just crying out for the half-time whistle.

Moutinho whips in a free kick from the left, but Briand gets to it first and heads it over his own bar.

We will have one minute of added time.

Well that brings an end to the first half, and Monaco are deservedly in front. Two superb finishes from Obbadi and Falcao have put the hosts right in the driving seat, and top of the league as things stand.

Lyon have been up against it for most of the match but did start to recover from a dominant Monaco start. However, they conceded just as they were getting back into it, and will need an early goal in the second half to get back into it.

Right, let's bring you some half-time stats.

The two teams are back out and ready for the second half. Monaco just taking up their positions.

KICK OFF! Monaco, playing from left to right, get the match back underway.

We have a short break in play as James Rodriguez picks up a little knock to his ankle. However, he is fine to play on.

LYON CHANGE Dabo seems to be struggling, and can't continue. Corentin Tolisso is on in his place.

Great chance for Monaco as they pile forward on the counter-attack. Rodriguez tries to slide in Falcao on the right of the box, but the Colombian is flagged for being offside.

This is a much better spell for Lyon now who are starting to enjoy a bit of attacking possession. However, Grenier has just hit two woeful corners, which really isn't what they need right now.

CLOSE! With Lyon going for it, the break is on for Monaco all the time now. Rodriguez ends up on the end of a counter-attack on the right and lashes a shot towards the top corner. However, he strikes across it too much as the ball flies over.

We've got a break in play at the moment as Moutinho receives treatment after getting creamed in the face with the ball from a Grenier free kick.

He looks a bit dazed and confused, but Moutinho is good to carry on after a swig of magic water.

I was literally just about to write about the next goal being crucial with Lyon being on the attack, and as I went to do that, they scored. A great cross from the left by Bedimo picks out Gomis on the penalty spot, who beats his marker in the air and directs a powerful header into the far top corner. It's a brilliant goal. Game on!

Monaco have responded well and are keen to put the game to bed.

OFF THE POST! Monaco come a whisker away from restoring their two-goal lead as they hit Lyon on the break. Falcao drives through the middle before nudging the ball to Ferreira-Carrasco on his left. The Belgian hits his effort low and first time, but it comes back off the near post from the edge of the box and pings out to the touchline. So unlucky.

This game is so open right now it's unreal. Monaco are just playing for the counter-attack because Lyon know that they have to go for it if they are to take anything from this match. The tackles are flying in now as well.

With that goal, Gomis has now scored more goals in Ligue 1 than any other current player in France's top-flight. That was number 90.

Tolisso is down holding his face after scrapping with Ferreira-Carrasco in the corner for the ball.

Grenier whips in a corner from the right which causes Monaco problems. The ball falls out to Malbranque, whose deflected shot wins another corner.

Gomis tried to get a touch on the ball their to deflect Briand's header towards the corner of the net. But it just bounced too high for him.

LYON CHANGE Strangely, Gomis is the man coming off now, as Benzia takes his place.

Gomis looked Lyon's most threatening player again today, and scored a great goal to get them back in it. It's an odd change that's for sure, unless of course he has an injury.

YELLOW CARD Grenier picks up a yellow for bundling over Ferreira-Carrasco.

CLOSE! So nearly a leveller for Lyon as Malbranque is threaded down the left side of the box before squaring to Briand The striker tries to help the cross on towards the far post, but it creeps agonisingly wide.

LYON CHANGE Jordan Ferri makes his way off the field, with Alassane Plea taking his place.

SAVE! Awesome stop from Lopes and he acrobatically pushes behind Falcao's header from a Moutinho cross.

Toulalan lets fly from the edge of the box with a rasping effort, but it was always swerving away from goal.

Awful decision from the linesman! Falco is slipped in by Ferreira-Carrasco from the left and is one-on-one with the keeper about 30 yards from goal. However, the flag is wrongly up on the near side.

Monaco look the more likely side to find another goal. It's all them at the moment, with the ball being played into the box enough time, but there hasn't been a shot at the end of it yet.

MONACO CHANGES Lucas Ocampos is coming on, with Ferreira-Carrasco making way.

We will have four minutes added time.

YELLOW CARD Malbranque enters the book for a late challenge on Toulalan.

MONACO CHANGE Fabinho, having waited earlier, finally replaces Rodriguez.

MONACO CHANGE He won't get a touch, but Geoffrey Kondogbia is on to replace Obbadi.

And that's that. Monaco hold on to move back to the top of the league, albeit it for a few hours, thanks to goals from Obbadi and Falcao.

Gomis got Lyon back in it to make it 2-1, but they stay 14th following this defeat and continue their worst start to a season since 1995.

Before I go, let's take a look at the full-time stats.

That's all from me for now, I'll be back shortly to bring you the action of Saint-Etienne vs. Paris Saint-Germain on Sports Mole.