Preview: Monaco vs. Nice
Monaco and Nice will put their respective unbeaten records on the line when they lock horns at the Stade Louis II on Friday night.
The hosts sit atop the Ligue 1 table after five matches, while the visitors find themselves fourth – two points shy of Les Monegasques.
Despite racking up 20 shots while enjoying the lion’s share of possession at the Stade du Moustoir, Monaco were held to a 2-2 draw by Lorient last weekend, with Romain Faivre scoring a 98th-minute equaliser to snatch a point for the hosts.
Still, Adi Hutter’s side remain unbeaten this season after kicking off their campaign with a run of three wins and two draws, meaning that Les Monegasques sit one point clear of second-placed Brest and three points above perennial champions Paris Saint-Germain.
It is also worth noting that Monaco boast the league’s best offensive record by some distance, having scored 15 goals across their opening five matches this term, while their nearest challengers – PSG and Rennes – have netted 10 goals during the same period.
Captain Wissam Ben-Yedder has bagged four goals in five appearances this season, while former Liverpool winger Takumi Minamino has already contributed three goals and three assists, making Monaco one of the most feared teams in the division.
Meanwhile, Nice clinched a hugely impressive 3-2 victory over PSG last time out, with a brace from Terem Moffi and a goal from Gaetan Laborde cancelling out a double from Kylian Mbappe, who leads Monaco’s Ben-Yedder by three goals in the Ligue 1 scoring charts.
Although Les Aiglons saw just 30% of the ball at Parc des Prices, they managed to register 14 shots – eight of which were on target – while the hosts recorded only three shots on target throughout the contest, failing to make the most of their dominance.
Nice started the season with successive draws against Lille, Lorient and Lyon, conceding just two goals in the process, but they head into Friday’s clash on a two-game winning streak, having secured a 2-0 victory over Strasbourg before last weekend’s triumph against PSG.
After conceding four goals in five matches, Nice also possess the joint-best defensive record in the division, meaning that Francesco Farioli’s men will be confident of frustrating free-scoring Monaco, who have found the back of the net at an eye-catching rate this term.
Monaco Ligue 1 form:
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Nice Ligue 1 form:
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We say: Monaco 3-2 Nice
If recent results and trends are anything to go by, Friday’s clash will be a high-scoring affair between two in-form teams, with both sides bidding to preserve their unbeaten record.
Given that Monaco average three goals per game in 2023-24, we expect the hosts to outscore the visitors at the Stade Louis II, but Nice look set to give Les Monegasques a run for their money.