PSG will look to extend their eight-game winning run in Ligue 1 when they travel to Monaco on Friday night at 8:00 PM (UK time).
After losing their opening two league matches, Paris Saint-Germain have swept away everything before them domestically, averaging 3.25 goals per game and conceding just once during this run.
Thomas Tuchel will no doubt be concerned about his side’s Champions League form after losing two of their opening three group games but can be confident of maintaining their four-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table with a win over Monaco.
Niko Kovac has enjoyed a solid start to life as Monaco manager, winning five and losing just two of his opening 10 games in charge. Les Monégasques are sixth in the table but can move to within just four points of PSG if they can pull off an unlikely victory here, something they haven’t managed in the last nine meetings between these two sides (dating back to Monaco’s 2016/17 Ligue 1 title triumph).
So, will PSG’s domestic dominance continue? Or will Monaco end their long wait for a victory over their French rivals?
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- With an average of 5.4 match goals seen per game across the last five Ligue 1 (L1) H2Hs, this clash between Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain has high-scoring potential. Despite enjoying a two-game winning run in L1, Monaco have to cope with a 12-game winless streak vs PSG in all competitions (D2, L10), while conceding first by the 30th minute on nine occasions.
- Unbeaten in their opening five top-flight home fixtures (W3, D2), the hosts are currently enjoying their best home start to a new league campaign since 2017/18. In fact, they will be especially keen for a good start in this game considering they are unbeaten in their last ten L1 home games in which they registered a HT lead (W8, D2).
- Sticking with that potentially high-scoring theme, PSG have averaged 3.25 team goals per match across their eight L1 wins this campaign, with 61.54% of their goals coming in the second half. However, a league-low one of their ten league games to date has witnessed goals at both ends.
- Currently on a run of four-straight top-flight away wins, the visitors have the opportunity to register a fifth consecutive away league clean sheet for the first time since January 2016! Usually strong from the off when playing away, PSG are the only L1 side yet to concede a first half goal on the road this L1 campaign, returning a HT record of: W3, D2.
- Players to watch: Axel Disasi scored the opener last time out and has been Monaco’s first goalscorer in each of his two goalscoring L1 games.
- Pablo Sarabia (PSG) has scored each of his two goals this L1 season on the road and in the 88th minute precisely – both as the game’s last scorer.
- Hot streak: Each of the last four L1 H2Hs held here have witnessed one converted penalty.
Monaco & PSG’s previous line-ups:
- Monaco (vs Nice): Mannone; Aguilar, Disasi, Badiashile, Henrique; Diop, Tchouameni, Fofana, Martins; Volland, Ben Yedder.
- PSG (vs Rennes): Navas; Kehrer, Marquinhos, Diallo, Kurzawa; Herrera, Paredes, Gueye; Florenzi, Kean, Di Maria.
Neymar looks to be fully recovered from an adductor injury after returning from international duty early to continue treatment and should be ready to start here, while Kylian Mbappe was in action for France against Sweden on Tuesday and should also start. Pablo Sarabia and Marco Veratti look set to return, but Moise Kean and Mauro Icardi are doubts.
This game comes a little too early for Aleksandr Golovin, while Monaco will be without Benjamin Lecomte until mid-December.
Players to watch:
- Monaco: Only PSG (26) and Rennes (18) have scored more goals than Monaco (17) in Ligue 1 this season and given that Friday’s visitors have conceded just three times from 10 games so far, Kovac will be counting on that attacking might again here. Monaco’s main threat will come in the form of Wissan Ben Yedder, who has already netted six times this season, at least four more than any of his teammates. Once linked with the likes of Man Utd and Barcelona, Ben Yedder was seen as a huge capture at the start of last season. He’s justified the hype so much that he already wears the captain’s armband. Can he be the one to breach this seemingly water-tight PSG defence?
- PSG: Even though Tuchel has rarely been able to call upon all of his best attacking assets at any one time, PSG have still been brushing aside the best Ligue 1 has to throw at them with ease. Monaco could prove to be a much tougher test, however, so the German will be looking for a big performance from Kylian Mbappe. The French wonderkid has seven Ligue 1 goals to his name already this season (four more than his nearest rival at PSG, Moise Kean) while his count of four assists is only matched by Pablo Sarabia. Furthermore, Mbappe also has five goals and four assists to his name against Monaco since leaving the club in 2017, he’ll be hungry for more here.
Ligue 1 2019/20 recent form:
- Monaco: WWLDL
- PSG: WWWWW