Monaco welcome Strasbourg to the Stade Louis-II for a French Ligue 1 clash on Saturday. With only three points separating both teams in the race for top four, a keenly contested encounter could be on the cards, although the hosts are likely to have the edge.
The hosts come into this game following an emphatic 3-0 home thrashing of Marseille in their previous Ligue 1 match. The result means they are now unbeaten in five of their last six fixtures and sees them leapfrog the visitors into second in the table.
Their recent success have been largely driven by a strong attacking performance, scoring in each of their last nine matches in all competitions, with 23 goals in that run. However, they have been wobbly at the back lately and are without a clean sheet in five of their last seven home fixtures in the league.
Strasbourg head into their clash with Monaco full of confidence after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a 2-2 draw against Nice. With seven wins in that span, Liam Rosenior’s side have surged up the table and now sit just two points off the UEFA Champions League places.
Le Racing’s attack has caught the eye lately and they have scored in each of their last nine Ligue 1 matches, with a total of 15 goals in that stretch. However, they tend to struggle against the top sides, with a 4-3 defeat to Lyon and a 4-2 loss at PSG among their away results this season.
How the bookies view it: Monaco overwhelming Monaco
The bookies have installed Monaco as overwhelming favourites with BoyleSports offering 1/2 for home win. A victory for Strasbourg is valued at 10/3 by BoyleSports, who are also offering odds of 10/3 for a draw.
Head to head: Superior Monaco
Monaco have a 23-11 advantage, with seven draws from 41 previous matches against Strasbourg. The Monegasques have also won the last five meetings and eased to a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch: Ben Seghir on the haunt again
Eliesse Ben Seghir has scored three goals in the last two matches against Strasbourg and netted a brace in the reverse fixture. The forward has nine Ligue 1 goals this season and is priced at 6/4 by BoyleSports to find the net once again.
Emmanuel Emegha is Strasbourg’s top scorer with 13 Ligue 1 goals this season. The striker has also been on target twice in the last three matches and priced at 5/2 by BoyleSports to get on the score sheet.
Probable line-ups
Monaco have a fully fit squad to pick from with Ben Seghir, Denis Zakaria and Breel Embolo all expected to start. Mika Biereth should lead the line once again while Thilo Kehrer is set to feature at the back.
Asides Moise Dion Sahi who is out injured, Strasbourg have the full complement of their players. The likes of Emegha, Andrey Santos and Samuel Amo-Ameyaw all expected to start.
Monaco: Kohn, Vanderson, Singo, Kehrer, Henrique, Minamino, Ben Seghir, Zakaria, Akliouche, Embolo Biereth
Strasbourg: Petrovic, Doue, Omobamidele, Doukoure, Diarra, Santos, Lamarechal, Barco, Amo-Ameyaw, Bakwa, Emegha
Anything else catch the eye?
The reverse fixture produced over 3.5 goals, which is priced at 11/10 with BoyleSports. Monaco have scored in both halves in three of their last four home matches and a repeat is priced at 21/20 with BoyleSports.
Monaco are priced at minimal odds for a strong victory so a win and both teams to score can be considered at 17/10 with BoyleSports.
Three of the last five meetings between both teams have witnessed both teams scoring whilst producing over 2.5 goals, including the reverse fixture. A repeat is expected at 3/4 with BoyleSports.
This French Ligue 1 match between Monaco and Strasbourg will be played on and kick off at 18:00. Check below for our tipsters best Monaco vs Strasbourg prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
GambleAware