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Nantes, without a win at Monaco since 2012, was under pressure from the outset. Niko Kovac's side showed real intent as it looked to make a winning start to the season in front of the returning Monaco faithful.

Monaco's new Dutch striker, Myron Boadu, made his league debut in place of Wissam Ben Yedder and missed a golden opportunity to open his account, shooting high and wide from close range in the eighth minute.

But the hosts did not have to wait long to break the deadlock when Gelson Martins turned home Caio Henrique's cross at full stretch on 14 minutes.

Nantes's only real attacking threat came from rare counter-attacks featuring Moses Simon and Randal Kolo Muani, and Les Canadiens weathered the storm and stayed firm in the face of Monaco pressure.

That resilience paid off as remarkably, Nantes was back on level terms, just before the break.

Castelletto took advantage of non-existent Monaco defending to head his side level from a corner completely against the run of play. It was the Cameroonian's first goal for Nantes since arriving from Brest in 2020.

Debutant Jean Lucas went close for Monaco with a 20-yard free kick on the resumption and Martins's mazy run and shot was blocked by the goal scorer Castelletto with 22 minutes remaining.

Kovac introduced Ben Yedder and Aleksandr Golovin to try to break down a stubborn Nantes defence, but the Croatian tactician was unable to get the desired effect as his team started to look tired and weary.

Aurelien Tchouameni went close for Monaco in the dying minutes, but Nantes held on for an excellent away point on the opening night, and was grateful for an astonishing clutch last-minute save from Alban Lafont in a frantic goalmouth scramble at the death.