Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Ligue 1 Previews, odds and Predictions

In Wednesday's last Ligue 1 match of 2024, French powerhouses Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain will face off in the principality.

This match has been postponed for two weeks due to their participation in the French Super Cup in Qatar on matchday 16 in early January.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

On Sunday, PSG boss Luis Enrique's stellar week took a giant leap forward with a 3-1 victory against Lyon at the Parc des Princes. Lyon's loss was its second in fifteen games.

The fact that the other teams in the top eight also lost over the weekend, giving PSG even more breathing room at the top, made the victory that much sweeter.

If they play their 16th league match two weeks ahead of the remainder of the season, they will have a chance to conclude 2024 with a ten-point lead in Ligue 1, where they have not lost a single game.

PSG will also be a heavy favourite since they have not lost a single away game in Ligue 1, and their one loss was during the 2022–23 season at the Stade Louis II.

Despite Enrique's less-than-stellar Champions League fortunes, his team scored a vital away victory over Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 in Austria last week.

With Manchester City and Stuttgart waiting for them in their last two matches, PSG's advancement to the next round is far from certain with just one more victory.

With their trip to Monaco coming up so soon after their journey to Lens in the fifth round of the Coupe de France, Enrique also has a challenging week ahead of him.

Monaco has been a formidable opponent for most French and European clubs this season, losing just once in fourteen home games. Their recent matches against PSG have been particularly enjoyable.

After scoring nine goals in three straight victories against PSG at the Stade Louis II, Monaco drew 0-0 with the French club in March.

However, Adi Hutter's squad has had a rough week, losing 3-0 to Arsenal in the Champions League and missing opportunities to gain points as clubs around them lost points over the weekend.

Monaco, who played in the late slot on Saturday, watched as Lille and Marseille drew earlier in the day. However, they could not break through as they were held scoreless against Reims.

That leaves the top four teams unchanged; Lille remains in third place, and Monaco is tied with OM in points; however, after Lyon's loss against PSG, Monaco widened the margin to five points.

Monaco x Paris Saint-Germain Team News

Monaco will have Vanderson back at right back after a ban, but Jordan Teze will also be out for the match due to a caution accumulation.

Folarin Balogun's shoulder injury recurred recently, so he will not play this weekend. Hutter opted to switch to a five-at-the-back formation, which resulted in Breel Embolo being benched.

That gave wing-back Kassoum Ouattara his first start of the season, but after failing to score against Reims, the manager may go with the tried-and-true 4-2-3-1 formation.

The spotlight will be on Desire Doue of PSG following his excellent performance against Lyon. In this game, he received an unusual starting role, created the first goal, and then won a penalty that allowed PSG to score.

It is possible that this game was a factor in Lucas Beraldo's substitution for Marquinhos, but Randal Kolo Muani was benched completely and will be moving on in January.

The visitors have no injury worries thanks to the recent returns of Lucas Hernandez and Senny Mayulu following recent setbacks; Enrique has chosen to keep Presnel Kimpembe out of the lineup.

Our Predictions

Full-time draw @ 3.95 on Sky247.ng

This is a must-see match to end 2024 in Ligue 1, as Monaco has a shot at catching Paris Saint-Germain by four points.

With PSG aiming to complete a year undefeated on the road in the league, this match might be as defensive as the one in March.

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