It is the first match in Ligue 1 since the last international break of 2024 Monaco Welcome Brest Friday evening to the Stade Louis II.

Both clubs are neck and neck in the competition Champions League Standings at the moment, but have had a very different start to the domestic campaign.

Match example

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Monaco had a shaky few weeks ahead of the November international break but managed to overcome that and keep themselves in a strong position before club football was briefly halted.

A 1-0 win away to Bologna in the Champions League means they are currently third halfway through the competition phase, with only league leaders Liverpool currently having more points.

Adi HutterThe Manchester United team was then extremely impressive by coming from behind to win 3-1 against a team from Strasbourg who had not lost at home so far this season.

Monaco trailed with just over 10 minutes to go but eventually got the goals their dominance deserved, with an xG of 3.72 over the 90 minutes and three late goals in Alsace.

That late showing now means Monaco have scored more goals in the last 15 minutes of Ligue 1 matches than any other club this season – seven – and it keeps them in the automatic Champions League placesand six points behind Paris Saint-Germain at the top.

The next goal will be to get back into form on home soil as their two wins before half-time both came at the Stade Louis II.

A 0-0 draw against Lille and a surprising 1-0 defeat against Angers means that Monaco cannot score in three home games in a row here for the first time since 2010.

However, when you consider their recent performances against Brest, that seems unlikely as the home side have won all their last five home games against their upcoming opponents.

Brest have lost 12 of their 16 trips to the principality in the top flight, and Monaco’s tally of just eight goals conceded after 11 games is the most in Ligue 1 of the 21st century, illustrating the daunting task ahead for the visitors.

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Erik RoyHowever, the club’s squad has upset the odds more than once in 2024, and their supporters will never want this year to end.

In their debut European season, Brest sit in fourth place, level with Monaco in the Champions League standings, with ten points, almost guaranteeing them a place in the knockout round.

Domestically, however, Roy will be the first to admit that results have not been as impressive, with Brest in twelfth place, just three points clear of the bottom three, and seven points clear of third, their position of last season.

The Pirates have already lost six league games this season and played less than a third of the season, just one defeat fewer than in all of last season.

Successive defeats have seen them drop slightly in the standings, starting with a 1-0 defeat at home to Nice, before a very disappointing 3-1 defeat at the bottom of the table at Montpellier just before half-time.

Monaco Ligue 1 form:

Monaco form (all competitions):

Form of Brest Ligue 1:

Brest form (all competitions):

Team news

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Monaco could welcome a back defender Mohammed Salisu after a month on the sidelines, shortly before the break, and after being an unused substitute, he did not face the Ghanaian side in their unsuccessful African Cup of Nations qualifiers last week.

There will be doubts about the suitability of Vanderson And Takumi Minamino although they won’t return to France until the end of this week after performing for their respective countries in South America and Asia on Tuesday.

Denis Zakaria And Alexander Golovin are injury doubts after withdrawing from international duty last week Folarin Balogun is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder.

Eliesse Ben Seghir will be full of confidence after his victory in Strasbourg, and he was part of the Moroccan side that won twice last week, scoring 12 goals.

Brest attacker Ludovic Ajorque will rate his chances of finding the net if he starts here, as Monaco have been his favorite opponents throughout his career, conceding five goals.

The two injury concerns for the visitors concern both full-backs Massadio Haidara a doubt, and Bradley Locko still out with an achilles injury.

Roy made seven changes to the side that beat Sparta Prague a fortnight ago when they lost in Montpellier, and with a trip to Barcelona in midweek on the horizon the Brest manager was able to reinstate a number of players ahead of that match keep reserve.

Possible starting line-up for Monaco:
Majecki; Singo, Kehrer, Salisu, Caio Henrique; Magassa, Camara; Akliouche, Ilenikhena, Ben Seghir; Embolo

Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Zogbe, Chardonnet, Ndiaye, Amavi; Magnetti, Lees-Melou, Martin; Faivre, Ajorque, Mama Balde

We say: Monaco 1-0 Brest

Monaco have been hugely impressive defensively and will look to use that here to end a two-match losing streak at home without scoring, in what will be a huge week for both clubs.

No supporter in France will have a better season than Brest’s, but that is solely down to their continental form, and it is difficult to see how they can avoid a third straight league defeat here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match, click here.

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