Auxerre vs. Monaco

With the league's second-best defence and a front line beginning to really hit its straps, Auxerre have put their shaky start to the season behind them to string together an astounding seven consecutive wins and shape up as potential title contenders.

Coulibaly put them ahead after 45 minutes, and Ndinga dashed Monaco's hopes of snatching a point by doubling Auxerre's lead in the 87th minute.

Auxerre had the better chances of a first half in which Benoît Pedretti (pictured) proved consistently dangerous both from set pieces and in open play, and his hard work paid off two minutes into first-half stoppage time when his wide free kick found Mali international Adama Coulibaly soaring above the Monaco defence to blast a powerful header that Stéphane Ruffier could only get a fingertip to before it hit the back of the net.

Coulibaly prevented a Monaco equaliser early in the second half when Chu Young Park shot and the Auxerre goalscorer got back in time to deflect the ball off target.

Auxerre were by no means out of the match, however, and as the sides traded blows it was the men from Burgundy who came out on top, securing the points three minutes from time when Congolese international Delvin Ndinga worked a neat one-two with Romania striker Daniel Niculae to breach the Monaco defence and beat Ruffier one-on-one to notch his first-ever Ligue 1 strike.