Monaco vs. Lille: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Monaco, the league's champions, will host Lille at the Stade Louis II on Friday night when Ligue 1 resumes play.

Lille continued to ride the crest of a wave after an extraordinary win in Europe. At the same time, the hosts leapfrogged champions Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Ligue 1 summit in the final game before the international break.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

The international break in October was the most unfavorable for Monaco, as it halted their remarkable season-opening performance.

In spite of the challenging journey to Rennes, Adi Hutter's team did not falter. They were aware that a victory would have secured their position at the summit. They successfully navigated the challenge, emerging as 2-1 winners.

Monaco's 19 points after seven games are their highest total since the 1960-61 season when they were crowned French champions. They entered the break with a two-point lead at the summit of Ligue 1. PSG's relinquished points against Nice were a contributing factor.

Monaco has initiated a Ligue 1 season by winning seven consecutive games only three times in the past. The first instance occurred in 1960-61, and the team also accomplished this feat in 1979-80 and 2013-14. However, they could not secure the title in the latter two campaigns.

Monaco dramatically maintained their unbeaten start, requiring two late goals in a rainy Croatia to draw with Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, just days before their league victory at Rennes.

As a result, this match will allow the hosts to begin the campaign with a perfect record, having already overcome a challenge by defeating Barcelona earlier in the season.

It is highly probable that Hutter's team will improve upon that record. They have not lost in their most recent ten home league games, which is their most impressive streak in over six years. Additionally, they have not lost at home to Lille in their previous 12 meetings in the Ligue 1 at the Stade Louis II.

Lille will hope to repeat their performance in the Coupe de France in 2019, as they have previously achieved a 3-0 victory in this venue. Their most recent results will provide them with significant confidence in their ability to do so.

Bruno Genesio's team could have been excused for experiencing a minor dip in morale following a string of four consecutive losses from late August to mid-September. However, this streak was ultimately terminated with a 3-3 draw at home against Strasbourg, where they required a late Jonathan David penalty to equalize.

Since that time, Lille has been irrepressible, defeating Toulouse and Le Havre in Ligue 1 and advancing to within a point of the Champions League positions.

Two weeks ago, Genesio orchestrated a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, arguably their most significant moment of the season.

Nevertheless, Lille did not allow that outcome to lead to complacency, as they rallied from a deficit to defeat Toulouse in their final match before the break, thanks to goals from Angel Gomes and Mitchel Bakker.

Genesio would have been delighted to witness the goals being shared again, as David and Edon Zhegrova had tallied all of LOSC's goals in their previous seven matches.

Lille have now scored in 20 of their last 22 league games. However, they will be cognizant of their challenge, as Monaco was one of the two teams that prevented them from scoring during this period. Monaco defeated Lille 1-0 in April.

Monaco x Lille Team News

Edan Diop is currently unavailable for Monaco due to a broken leg. Folarin Balogun, who suffered a shoulder dislocation during their most recent match, and Mohammed Salisu, who was injured while representing Ghana last week, have also been confined to the treatment table.

Vanderson and Takumi Minamino will have accrued numerous air miles while traveling to and from South America and Asia, respectively. The Morocco squad, which traveled to the Central African Republic on Tuesday night, included youthful talent Eliesse Ben Seghir.

Switzerland's captain, Denis Zakaria, was absent from the team's matches against Serbia and Denmark last week and is doubtful of his availability. However, despite being excluded from the Germany squad, Thilo Kehrer is not an issue.

Lille wide man Zhegrova's outstanding form continued when he was named Man of the Match in Kosovo's win against Lithuania during the break. He notched his seventh goal in 13 games for club and country this season.

David's stamina will be questioned, though, as he featured for Canada against Panama early Wednesday morning.

The visitors will certainly be without Benjamin Andre, who is suspended after his caution against Toulouse, while Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, Ismaily, and Samuel Umtiti remain injured.

Our Predictions

Monaco to win @ 2.00 on Sky247.ng

Monaco has won the most games in Ligue 1 in 2024, and they are expected to maintain their position at the summit by securing their 17th of the calendar year in this match.

Lille is also in excellent form coming into the game; however, they must trust that Zhegrova and David are in peak condition to have a chance, as they both represented their respective countries less than 72 hours prior.

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