Striker Julio Rossi scored the winner in the 27th minute as the 2001 champions overcame the team they succeeded as kings of France, and also consigned the principality club to the foot of the table.

This match was telling in more ways than one as the two once great sides were the last two teams to be champions of France before Lyon took over and dominated the last five championships.

But both have fallen a long way since then, particularly Monaco who only two and a half years ago lined up in the Champions League final, when they lost 3-0 to Jose Mourinho's Porto.

Now they sit bottom of their domestic league, having fired manager Laszlo Boloni at the beginning of the week and seen new boss Laurent Banide preside over their exit from the League Cup in midweek, at the hands of lower league opposition.

"I am a little disappointed," said Banide. "Like I said before, the rebuilding work is important and and we have to put everything in place to rediscover our balance.

"We need time to think about our problems. This run of bad results has hugely affected us."

Once they went behind, Monaco lost any hope of scratching their way back into the contest on the stroke of half-time as midfielder Jaroslav Plasil was sent off.

Nantes's victory saw them move up to 17th in the table and clear of the dreaded drop zone.

Nantes coach Serge Eo was just happy to be back on the winning trail.

"On nights like this you just feel like singing," he said. "It's a great night. We didn't play the ball around aimlessly."

While Monaco might be struggling, there was better news for capital giants Paris St Germain who held on grimly for a 1-0 home success over Rennes.

The win had a lot to do with inept defending, though, as Amara Diane skipped through a succession of weak challenges before slotting the ball in at Simon Pouplin's near post.

The ball seemed to be stuck to his toe as one after another Rennes' defenders let him slip by, barely looking in control of the ball but always with it at his feet.

Coach Guy Lacombe said: "I'm happy with the win. We could have put the game to bed a lot earlier, though.

"We had a lot of solidarity and at the end we kept the ball well."

It was just that tactic that cost PSG their only black mark on the game as Portugal striker Pedro Pauleta was given two yellow cards in the dying moments while trying to shield the ball in the corner to run down time.

PSG may be down in 10th in the table but are only one win away from fourth-placed Lille who were held 1-1 at little Le Mans.

Last year's runners-up Bordeaux are gradually coming into form and three goals in eight minutes overturned a 1-0 home deficit against third-bottom Sedan.

Wendel equalised Nadir Belhadj's 18th minute opener just before the break and former Werder Bremen playmaker Johan Micoud gave the hosts the lead just after the interval.

Jean-Claude Darcheville wrapped up the three points with a penalty on 53 minutes.

Lens are fifth after a narrow 1-0 win over Auxerre while Sochaux won 2-1 at Toulouse, Troyes beat St Etienne 3-1 at home and Lorient edged Valenciennes 1-0.