Monaco and Lens will put their 100% records on the line when they clash in a Ligue 1 fixture on Sunday. Both teams are looking solid early in the season but Monaco are often different class at home and should have the upper hand here.
Monaco are enjoying an imperious start to the season having won their opening two Ligue 1 matches. They began with a 1-0 home victory over Saint-Etienne before picking up a 2-0 win at Lyon in their previous fixture.
Adi Hutter’s team do not appear to be missing Wissam Ben Yedder, who has left the club, with Takumi Minamino and Eliesse Ben Seghir looking sharp. Monaco also seem to be picking up where they left off with their home fixtures last season having won their last five matches at Stade Louis-II.
Lens have also made a solid start to the season, winning their opening two matches. William Still’s men began with a 1-0 victory at Angers before earning a 2-0 win over Brest in their previous fixture.
While things have been generally good for Lens so far, they will not head into Sunday’s clash on a good note. They were knocked out of the Europa Conference League on Thursday after losing 2-0 at Panathinaikos for a 3-2 aggregate defeat.
This good form is not just limited to the domestic scene as Lens have also caught the eye in the Europa Conference League.
How the bookies view it: Victory for Monaco
Monaco have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 9/10 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Lens is valued at 11/4 by Betfred, who is also offering 11/4 for a draw.
Head to head: Upper hand for Monaco
Monaco have a 23-14 advantage with 17 draws from 54 previous matches against Lens. They also went unbeaten in three meetings last season, winning the two league fixtures before knocking Lens out on penalties in the Coupe de France.
Players to watch: Balogun gets off the mark
Folarin Balogun has yet to find the net this season but is often lively in attack and could be worth keeping an eye on. The striker was on target against Lens last season and is priced at 8/5 by Betfred to find the net on Sunday.
Wesley Said is having a fine start to the season for Lens and has scored in two of the last three matches. The forward could be worth keeping an eye on to find the net on Sunday at 23/10 by Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Monaco will be without Lamine Camara, who is suspended for Sunday’s clash while Aleksandr Golovin misses out through injury. Balogun could return to the team after sitting out the win at Lyon.
Said Sat out Lens’ previous Ligue 1 clash and could be set to return to the team on Sunday. The forward could partner Florian Sotoca in attack while Kevin Danso is expected to feature in defence.
Monaco: Kohn, Vanderson, Kehrer, Salisu, Jakobs, Zakaria, Magassa, Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir, Balogun
Lens: Samba, Gradit, Danso, Medina, Chavez, Diouf, Thomasson, Aguilar, Zaroury, Sotoca, Said
Anything else catch the eye?
The last meeting between Monaco and Lens produced over 4.5 goals, which is priced at 100/30 by Betfred. Over 3.5 goals could also be considered at odds of 11/8 by Betfred, who is also offering evens on the second half to produce more goals.
With Monaco expected to claim the upper hand on Sunday, they could be backed to score in both halves at 7/5 with Betfred.
This French Ligue 1 match between Monaco and Lens will be played on Sep 1, 2024 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Monaco vs Lens prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
