AS Monaco eased to a 5-2 win at Metz as three goals in the first 16 minutes effectively ended Saturday's match as a contest and helped send them up to second place in the Ligue 1 standings.

Monaco have 49 points from 27 games, 10 points adrift of Paris St Germain, who visit Olympique de Marseille on Sunday. Brest, who are two points behind the principality side, can reclaim second spot when they play at Lorient on Sunday.

It took four minutes for Takumi Minamino to give Monaco the lead and Maghnes Akliouche doubled the score six minutes later.

Vanderson got Monaco's third inside the box from a cross.

After 76 minutes Metz's evening got worse as goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja tried to back-heel a pass out of danger, inadvertently striking the foot of Monaco's Folarin Balogun and sending the ball into the net for the visitors' fourth.

Metz made a last-ditch comeback attempt thanks to late goals from Papa Amadou Diallo and Ibou Sane but Balogun wrapped up the win with his second goal three minutes from time.

Metz are second-bottom with 23 points from 27 games, two points behind Nantes, who occupy the relegation playoff spot and visit fifth-placed Nice on Sunday. REUTERS