Ligue 1 is back on Friday night as league leaders Monaco host Lille at the Stade Louis II.
Monaco took the top spot after leapfrogging reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in their last match before the international break. Lille, on the other hand, is riding high after an impressive European win.
The timing of the October international break was unfortunate for Monaco, halting their fantastic start to the season. They faced a tough away match against Rennes, but Adi Hutter’s team rose to the occasion, winning 2-1 and securing their place at the top.
PSG’s dropped points against Nice allowed Monaco to go into the break with a two-point lead in Ligue 1. With 19 points from seven games, they’ve had their best start since the 1960-61 season, when they went on to become champions. They've only started a Ligue 1 season unbeaten for seven games on three previous occasions, including 1960-61, 1979-80, and 2013-14, but the latter two seasons ended without a title.
Their victory at Rennes came just days after a dramatic Champions League match where they managed to cling to their unbeaten run with a late equalizer against Dinamo Zagreb. This upcoming match offers them the chance to extend their unbeaten streak to 10 games, building on earlier successes, including a win against Barcelona.
All indicators suggest that Hutter’s squad will keep this momentum going. They are currently unbeaten in their last 10 home league matches, their best run in over six years, and have not lost to Lille at home in their last 12 Ligue 1 meetings.
Lille, however, will aim to replicate their impressive 3-0 win here in the Coupe de France back in 2019. Recent results should give them confidence, too. After suffering four consecutive defeats from late August to mid-September, they finally ended that streak with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Strasbourg, salvaged by a late penalty from Jonathan David.
Since that match, Lille has been on a roll, defeating Le Havre and Toulouse in Ligue 1 and inching closer to the Champions League spots. Their standout moment came with a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League, showcasing their potential.
They didn’t let that victory lead to complacency, bouncing back from an early deficit against Toulouse to win their last game before the break, with goals from Angel Gomes and Mitchel Bakker.
After David and Edon Zhegrova had been the main scorers in previous matches, it was a relief for coach Bruno Genesio to see goals coming from multiple players.
Lille has scored in 20 of their last 22 league games, but they know they face a tough challenge against Monaco, who managed to keep them scoreless in their last meeting here, winning 1-0 back in April.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Edan Diop is still out for Monaco with a broken leg, and he’ll be joined on the sidelines by Folarin Balogun, who dislocated his shoulder in their last match, and Mohammed Salisu, who picked up an injury while playing for Ghana last week.
Vanderson and Takumi Minamino will have logged a lot of travel miles coming back from South America and Asia, respectively. Meanwhile, young talent Eliesse Ben Seghir was part of Morocco’s squad for their match in the Central African Republic on Tuesday night.
Captain Denis Zakaria missed Switzerland's games against Serbia and Denmark last week and is doubtful for the upcoming match. However, there are no issues with Thilo Kehrer, despite his exclusion from the Germany squad.
Lille's Zhegrova continued his excellent form by being named Man of the Match in Kosovo's win over Lithuania during the break, scoring his seventh goal in 13 games for club and country this season.
David’s fitness might be a concern, as he played for Canada against Panama early Wednesday morning.
Lille will definitely be without Benjamin Andre, who is suspended after receiving a yellow card against Toulouse, and Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, Ismaily, and Samuel Umtiti are still recovering from injuries.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Singo, Mawissa Elebi, Kehrer, Caio Henrique; Magassa, Camara; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Tiago Santos, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson, Bakker; Angel Gomes, Andre Gomes, Bouaddi; Zhegrova, David
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
AS Monaco 2-1 Lille
Monaco has the best record in Ligue 1 for wins in 2024, and they’ll be aiming for their 17th victory of the year to keep their spot at the top.
Lille, meanwhile, is also in great form, but they’ll need Zhegrova and David to be in peak condition if they want a shot at winning, especially since both played for their national teams less than 72 hours ago.
