AP, Paris :
Radamel Falcao underlined his worth to defending champion Monaco with a late goal to beat Metz 1-0 in the French league on Friday.
The striker pounced with an opportunist finish in the 79th minute, latching onto a fine pass from substitute midfielder Rachid Ghezzal and slotting home from close range.
Falcao’s fifth goal of the season helped Monaco to a third straight win and a French record 15th straight in the league – surpassing Bordeaux’s 14 from the 2008-09 season. Monaco tops the league.
The buildup had been all about Monaco leaving out Kylian Mbappe, who is pushing for a move to rival Paris Saint-Germain. The 18-year-old forward is rated at upward of 160 million euros ($187 million) and wants to play alongside Neymar at PSG.
Monaco coped without Mbappe last weekend, too, winning at Dijon 4-1 as Falcao netted a superb hat trick.
This match opposed last season’s top scorers – Monaco netted 107 league goals – and the worst defense – Metz conceded 72.
But Metz, which lost the corresponding home fixture 7-0 last season, competed well.
