A disappointing 3-0 defeat to Rennes was far from the ideal start to the season for a Lyon side that ended last campaign in a rich vein of form, yet on the evidence of the first half, keeping Monaco at bay was going to be a tough ask.
The visitors started the match positively, controlling possession, albeit without testing Lyon’s new shot-stopper Lucas Perri.
However, that dominance almost led to the game’s opener when Takumi Minamino burst into the box and forced a fingertip save that saw the ball ping off the far post.
None of the last 18 head-to-heads had ended all square and despite a goalless first half, that statistic looked likely to continue, with Breel Embolo looking dangerous when firing over shortly after the restart.
In the end, it took until the 65th minute for Les Gones’ defence to finally be breached, with Maghnes Akliouche finding Eliesse Ben Seghir, who squeezed his shot into the bottom corner while under pressure in the box.
The hosts needed a response if they were to avoid a first head-to-head home defeat in seven league meetings, yet it was Monaco who continued to look the most likely to find the net as the contest entered the final 15 minutes.
Hopes of a Lyon turnaround appeared fanciful, and when Lamine Camara tucked an effort inside the right post from Kassoum Ouattara’s pick-out, the points were sealed for the Monegasques.
Last season, Lyon started their top-flight campaign with back-to-back losses for the first time since 1966/67, and despite an upturn in results at the start of the calendar year, Les Gones are back where they started, once again suffering successive defeats to begin the Ligue 1 season.
As for Monaco, some gloss was taken off the victory by a pair of yellow cards for Camara in stoppage time, but with two wins from two it's the perfect start for Adi Hutter, as he looks to bridge last season’s six-point gap to champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Eliesse Ben Seghir (Monaco)
