Monaco will look to end a run of recent inconsistent form when they travel to the Stade Raymond-Kopa to face Angers in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Adi Hutter's side have flattered to deceive in 2025, falling outside the top three, while also suffering elimination from Europe and the Coupe de France.
Match preview
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Monaco have continued to falter in the race for Champions League football this season, dropping more points in a 1-1 draw away to Toulouse in the league last weekend.
Only leaders Paris Saint-Germain had taken more points (34) than Monaco (29) in the opening 14 games of the season, but the form of Hutter's side since has been mid-table at best.
The 11 subsequent matches have yielded just 15 points for Monaco, who are slightly fortunate to still find themselves in the top four heading into the weekend.
Only goal difference is currently keeping them above fifth-place Lille, but the battle is incredibly tight, illustrated by the fact that Monaco could leapfrog Nice in third with a win this weekend.
Wins have been hard to come by for the visitors since the turn of the year though, with just five of their 15 matches in 2025 ending victoriously.
Four tricky tests will follow all in succession for Hutter's men after this winnable encounter though, with Nice, Brest, Marseille and Strasbourg all laying ahead for the side currently lying fourth.
Firstly, they must take three points from a fixture that has so often provided them with success in recent years, as they have taken 17 points from a possible 21 on their last seven trips to the Raymond-Kopa.
Angers stunned Monaco in the reverse fixture though, winning 1-0 at the Stade Louis II, ending a seven-game winning streak in this fixture for ASM, and the hosts have the opportunity to win successive matches against their upcoming opponents for the first time in over 50 years this weekend.
Form over the past month suggests they may struggle though, because Angers enter this fixture on the back four bitterly disappointing results.
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It all started when they threw away a 2-0 lead against Saint-Etienne and were still fortunate to leave with a point, before losing on penalties in their Coupe de France quarter-final showdown with Reims.
The response to that cup exit was a poor one, as Alexandre Dujeux's side were thrashed 4-0 at home by Toulouse, and they followed that up with another toothless display at Brest last weekend, going down 2-0.
Despite sitting 13th, Angers are far from safe, sitting six points above the drop zone while woefully out of form, as this fixture could see them lose three straight home matches without scoring for the first time since 1980.
The fixtures do not get any easier for Dujeux's men either, because after this visit of Monaco, they will also face PSG, Nice, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon all before the season is out, as well as a rapidly-improving Rennes outfit.
Clashes with Montpellier and Nantes will be pivotal, and winning both of them would take Angers to 33 points - a tally that should ensure Ligue 1 survival this season.
Team News
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Angers youngster Lilian Raolisoa picked up a knock in their defeat against Brest last weekend, making him a doubt for this one, potentially joining Halid Sabanovic, Cedric Hountondji and Adrien Hunou on the sidelines.
Jean-Eudes Aholou scored the only goal in the reverse fixture towards the end of 2024, but he has failed to find the net since in 14 starts for Angers, as well as two for his national side Ivory Coast.
Monaco will be able to call upon experienced midfielder Denis Zakaria once again after he served a one-match suspension in last week's draw with Toulouse, and he should take the place of Al Musrati alongside Lamine Camara.
Aleksandr Golovin is still not at 100% fitness after a recent groin injury, while Soungoutou Magassa (face), Jordan Teze (hamstring) and Folarin Balogun (shoulder) are also all doubtful with lingering issues.
Mika Biereth's sensational form continued last week by registering an assist in a second straight away game, but it is his exploits in front of goal that have made headlines, with the Danish striker already on three hat tricks for the club in just eight Ligue 1 appearances, with only six players having scored more than him in the division, despite only joining in January.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Arcus, Biumla, Lefort, Hanin; Aholou, Belkebla, Abdelli; El Melali, Lepaul, Allevinah
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Majecki; Vanderson, Kehrer, Mawissa, Caio Henrique; Camara, Zakaria; Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir; Biereth
We say: Angers 1-2 Monaco
Angers may have stunned Monaco in the reverse fixture, but they have shown no form at all in recent weeks, and that has dragged them back into the relegation picture, just when it seemed as though they were sauntering to safety.
Monaco have not fared much better, and if recent results continue, they will drop out of the top four, but this is an excellent opportunity for them to solidify their spot in the Champions League positions against a team they have had plenty of success against of late.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
