Monaco aim to temporarily secure second place in Ligue 1 as they face Lyon at the Stade Louis II on matchday 16.
The recent 2-1 win over Rennes puts Monaco close to Nice, while Lyon, despite a 3-0 win over Toulouse, remains bottom of the table.
Match Preview
Monaco bounced back this month with a 100% record after a difficult end of November. Adi Hutter has led the team to 30 points after 15 Ligue 1 matches, hinting at a promising season ahead based on historical benchmarks.
Monaco’s home performances have been particularly strong, winning six out of seven matches at the Stade Louis II this season.
However, defensively they showed vulnerability late in the match, conceding goals beyond the 90th minute in some cases.
Lyon, on the other hand, secured their first home victory of the season under interim coach Pierre Sage. Despite this victory, they sit at the bottom of the table and badly need points to move out of the relegation zone.
Lyon face a big challenge as they are yet to pick up points against top-half teams this season. Their defensive weaknesses are evident, conceding six goals in their last two away games and recording the second highest number of goals conceded this season (27).
Team News
Monaco will miss Vanderson and Aleksandr Golovin due to suspensions. Injuries to Eliesse Ben Seghir, Myron Boadu and Eliot Matazo will also keep them out of the team.
Lyon will be without Johann Lepenant due to a knee sprain, while Rémy Riou suffers from a muscle injury.
Possible compositions
Monegasque: (3-4-2-1)
Kohn;
Singo, Maripan, Zakaria;
Diatta, Fofana, Camara, Jakobs;
Minamino, Akliouche;
Balogun
Lyon: (3-4-3)
Lopes;
O’Brien, Sarr, Caleta-Car;
Mata, Tolisso, Caqueret, Tagliafico;
Moreira, Lacazette, Cherki
Prediction: Monaco 2-0 Lyon
Despite the absence of Golovin, Monaco has a defensive advantage against an inconsistent Lyon team. With Monaco’s better defensive solidity and Lyon’s lack of consistent quality, Monaco has a strong chance of securing a comfortable victory at home.
