Monaco s Senegalese midfielder Krepin Diatta (C) fights for the ball with Strasbourg s Strasbourg s Belgian goalkeeper Matz Sels (2nd R) and Strasbourg s Strasbourg s Ghanaian defender Alexander Djiku (R) during the French L1 football match between RC Strasbourg Alsace and AS Monaco (Photo: AFP)
In a clash between contenders for European spots, Diatta opened the scoring with a powerful volley from the edge of the box in the 43rd minute. He could have added another goal in the 48th but Strasbourg goalkeeper Matz Sels saved his chip.
Sofiane Diop, a France Under-21 international, doubled the lead by converting a rebound in the 53rd after Sels palmed away a deflected cross from Gelson Martins.
Strasbourg forward Habib Diallo pulled one back in the 65th by heading in a cross from Thomas Delaine.
Monaco and Strasbourg finished third and sixth, respectively, last season.
Sels limited the damage by denying Martins in the 35th, diverting onto the post a close-range effort from Jean Lucas in the 61st, and saving a downward header from substitute Maghnes Akliouche in the 85th.
Monaco goalkeeper Alexander Nubel preserved the win in injury time by stopping a point-blank shot from Adrien Thomasson.
Monaco missed the suspended Kevin Volland and Aleksandr Golovin, the injured Takumi Minamino, Benoit Badiashile and Myron Boadu, and an ill Caio Henrique.
Later Saturday, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain visited Clermont.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: