Monaco's title charge stalls at Bastia

Monaco’s hopes of winning their first French championship since 2000 took a blow on Friday night when they were held to a 1-1 draw at relegation threatened Bastia. The result maintains Monaco's unbeaten record in 2017 and extends their lead at the top of the table to four points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain.

Leonardo Jardim's Monaco side could only manage a draw at relegation threatened Bastia. Reuters/Giorgio Perottino

However, PSG can close to within a point of the pacesetters provided they beat Toulouse at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night.

"Bastia were more aggressive than us and that was the difference," said Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim. "We always play to win, of course, so this is a disappointment. Ligue 1 is not a training session, it's a very important competition."

Sadio Diallo scored Bastia’s goal after 18 minutes. Goal-line technology confirmed the Guinea international’s header had crossed the line before the Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic clawed the ball away.

Bernardo Silva drew Monaco level seven minutes after the pause when the Portuguese midfielder headed in Almamy Toure’s cross from the right.

Monaco, who face Manchester City in the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday, had won their last nine Ligue 1 meetings with Bastia. The Corsicans, who are in the drop zone, had gone into the match at the Stade Armand-Cesari with low expectations following seven games without a win in all competitions.

Bastia boss François Ciccolini praised his players’ resilience. “I’m pleased with the how we played because not everyone was in their ideal position. But the result shows the rewards you can get when you work together and make an effort.

“I think that spirit and the result will do us a lot of good as we try to get out of the relegation zone.”