Paris Saint-Germain resume their defence of the Champions League trophy with a first-leg playoff clash against familiar foes Monaco on Tuesday night at the Stade Louis II.
After finally conquering the continent last season, PSG somewhat surprisingly failed to finish inside the top eight of the league phase table.
As a result, Luis Enrique’s side now face another hurdle in their pursuit of back-to-back Champions League titles.
On the domestic front, PSG’s season hasn’t been smooth, as they now sit second in Ligue 1 following a 3-1 loss at Rennes.
Monaco, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact during the league phase, accumulating just 10 points, albeit it was enough to scrape into the top 24.
Despite a 3-1 victory over Nantes at the weekend that lifted spirits, Sebastien Pocognoli’s side have continued to struggle for consistency and remain only eighth in Ligue 1.
How the bookies view it: PSG to prevail
The pre-match odds suggest Paris Saint-Germain are poised to draw first blood and secure a first-leg advantage on Tuesday night, with an away win trading at 11/20 on bet365. Backing PSG to win alongside under 4.5 goals will boost the odds to a much more enticing even-money (1/1) on Paddy Power.
Monaco are massive 9/2 outsiders on Unibet, while a first-leg stalemate at the Stade Louis II is also deemed unlikely at 18/5 with the same bookmaker.
Head to head: Hope for the hosts
While recent years have tilted in PSG’s favour, the overall record in this fixture tells an even story – in 115 competitive matchups Monaco have won 48, PSG 38 and 29 have been draws.
The hosts can also draw confidence from the fact that they claimed a 1-0 victory at this venue earlier in the season – the same scoreline on Tuesday night is trading at a towering 20/1 on bet365.
Players to watch: Dembele to deliver?
Having netted seven goals in his last nine appearances for PSG across all competitions, including strikes in each of his previous two outings, Ousmane Dembele offers value to strike on Tuesday night at 21/20 with William Hill.
Folarin Balogun is expected to spearhead Monaco’s attack, with the American forward available at 11/4 on bet365 for an anytime strike.
Predicted line-ups
Monaco’s already difficult task is made even more difficult by a lengthy injury list, which includes Christian Mawissa, Eric Dier, Kassoum Ouattara, Lukas Hradecky, Mohammed Salisu, Paul Pogba and Takumi Minamino.
Fabian Ruiz has missed each of PSG’s last four matches, casting doubt over the Spanish midfielder’s availability for this week’s first leg, while Quentin Ndjantou is certain to miss out for the star-studded visitors.
Monaco: Kohn; Teze, Zakaria, Kehrer; Vanderson, Camara, Coulibaly, Henrique; Akliouche, Golovin; Balogun
PSG: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola
Anything else catch the eye?
With fixtures coming thick and fast for both sides, this might not be the goal-fest that the pre-match odds suggest.
With that in mind, under 3.0 Asian goals at 5/6 with bet365 could be worth a look.
This bet only loses if four or more goals are scored – something that’s happened in just one of Monaco’s four Champions League home matches this season.
The fact that Monaco ran out 1-0 winners when the two sides met in Ligue 1 earlier this term further supports this pick.
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