Bordeaux Beats Monaco 4-1 in French League

Monaco's poor start to the season continued on Sunday as it lost 4-1 at Bordeaux for its second straight defeat in the French league.

Monaco striker Dimitar Barbatov opened the scoring with a diving header on the stroke of halftime. But Bordeaux forward Diego Rolan leveled from close range three minutes after the break, and the hosts took the lead when Argentine striker Emiliano Sala converted a penalty in the 61st.

Rolan volleyed home to make it 3-1 in the 65th before Wahbi Khazri sealed the win with another spot kick in the 75th.

"We were clinical in the first half. We should have kept the ball a bit more but we didn't," Monaco midfielder Jeremy Toulalan said. "We were not as good in the second half. We had less control and fewer chances."

Also Sunday, Saint-Etienne rallied past Reims 3-1 while Marseille lost 2-0 to Montpellier. Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne are the only clubs that have won their first two league games.

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim made five changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Lorient in the opening round.

The visitors pressed high up the pitch to dominate possession and created their first chance in the 20th when winger Lucas Ocampos unleashed a low drive that Bordeaux goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso parried.

Monaco struggled to find space until Berbatov lost his marker at the far post to head in a cross from Valere Germain.

Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol replaced striker Cheick Diabate with Jaroslav Plasil at halftime to add more density in midfield. That tactical move quickly paid off as fullback Diego Contento knocked down a high ball for Rolan, who flicked home the equalizer.

Last season's runner-up was then punished for three defensive mistakes. Monaco center-back Aymen Abdennour held Khazri in the 60th to give away a penalty converted by Sala.

Rolan capitalized on some poor marking to tap in a free kick redirected by Bordeaux defender Lamine Sane, and Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic then tripped Khazri, who converted the penalty himself.

At the Geoffroy Guichard stadium, Reims opened the scoring with an own goal from Saint-Etienne defender Loic Perrin in the 27th minute.

However, Saint-Etienne winger Max-Alain Gradel leveled by curling a free kick into the top corner in the 61st and Kevin Monnet-Paquet headed in a cross from striker Mevlut Erding in the 71st for a 2-1 lead. Erding sealed the win from close range in the 81st.

At Stade Velodrome, Montpellier winger Anthony Mounier beat the offside trap to score with a lob in the 19th. He set up the second goal with a low cross converted by Morgan Samson in the 69th.

Marseille's players looked uncomfortable in the unorthodox 3-3-3-1 system imposed by Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, showing again their defensive frailties after drawing 3-3 with Bastia in the opening round.

"The result is not the one that I expected," Bielsa said. "This match shows that we still have things to fix. But there are more positives than negatives."

On Saturday, it was: Paris Saint-Germain 2, Bastia 0; Lens 0, Guingamp 1; Lorient 0, Nice 0; Metz 1, Nantes 1; Rennes 6, Evian 2; and Toulouse 2, Lyon 1.

Lille edged Caen 1-0 on Friday.

Defending champion PSG lost three players to injuries against Bastia. Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off in the 16th minute because of a left oblique muscle strain, the club said. Dutch defender Gregory Van der Wiel was replaced at halftime following a fractured lumbar vertebra. And the club confirmed Italy midfielder Thiago Motta had a broken nose after Bastia striker Brandao headbutted him in the tunnel at the end of the match.