Monaco strengthen second-place grip

Monaco strengthened their grip on second place in Ligue 1 after returning to winning ways with a routine 2-0 defeat of Bastia.

Following a disappointing 3-0 loss at Angers on Saturday, Leonardo Jardim's side looked to bounce back and did so thanks to Francois Modesto's own goal and a second-half Bernardo Silva strike.

The hosts thought they had made the perfect start just after the 15-minute mark when Silva netted after being put through by Vagner Love but the linesman's flag halted any premature celebrations.

Silva was heavily involved again 10 minutes later as Monaco looked for an early advantage but Jean-Louis Leca's strong hand kept out the Portuguese forward's effort.

Then, on 35 minutes, Monaco made the breakthrough in fortuitous circumstances when Modesto deflected Joao Moutinho's corner beyond his own keeper.

The interval did little to break Monaco's flow and only a superb Leca stop prevented Love from close range after he met Fabio Coentrao's delivery.

And the hosts got their reward for a domineering performance on 73 minutes when, with the aid of a Sebastien Squillaci deflection, Silva got a deserved goal after linking up with Nabil Dirar.