Last season's Ligue 1 runners-up Monaco have eased to a 3-1 win over Nantes in their opening league match of the 2018-19 campaign.

Les Monegasques netted three times in 14 second-half minutes through Rony Lopes, Stefan Jovetic and Radamel Falcao, before Emiliano Sala pulled one back for the hosts right at the end.

Monaco, backed as fourth favourites to win the French top flight this term, join Marseille on maximum points at the top of the division following Les Phoceens' thumping win against Toulouse on Friday night.

Jordi Mboula flashed wide from the first chance of the afternoon after being picked out by Youri Tielemans, but an even bigger opportunity fell the way of Valentin Rongier 18 minutes in.

The midfielder blasted over the bar when picked out near the penalty spot, and the same player then forced Diego Benaglio into a simple stop.

Monaco's best first-half openings saw Mboula's header from point-blank range kept out by Ciprian Tatarusanu and Sofiane Diop come within inches of connecting with Lopes's cross from the right.

Diop did have the ball in the net before the end of the opening 45 minutes, only for the offside flag to rule the goal out, but the visiting side would soon find their groove.

Lopes stooped in to header Jovetic's deflected cross at the far post for Monaco's first goal of the campaign.

Then, after Tatarusanu produced fine stops to keep out a Jovetic free kick and Falcao's attempt from a corner, Jovetic rolled the ball in at the near post at the end of a swift counter that started with Benaglio making a key save.

Falcao's simple finish in the six-yard box at the end of a Samuel Grandsir cross rounded off the visitors' scoring, but substitute Sala did net a late consolation for Nantes with his side-foot finish off the post.

NANTES: Tatarusanu; Kwateng, Djidji, Diego Carlos, Lima; Toure, Moutoussamy; Evangelista (Alegue 86'), Rongier, Dabo (Sala 72'); Coulibaly (Waris 72')

MONACO (4-2-3-1): Benaglio; Pierre-Gabriel, Glik, Jemerson, Barreca (Serrano 88'); Aholou, Tielemans; Mboula (Falcao 67'), Diop (Grandsir 67'), Rony Lopes; Jovetic