Flying high on a three-game winning run across all competitions, Monaco seek to remain on the coat-tails of Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain when they welcome Montpellier HSC to the Stade Louis II on Saturday.
Adi Hutter's men survived a huge scare to triumph 3-1 over Le Havre last time out, while their visitors edged a five-goal thriller with Auxerre for their opening win of the season.
Match preview
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Maybe showing a couple of signs of a European hangover following their successful Champions League exploits against Barcelona, Monaco required just nine minutes to break the deadlock against Le Havre through a Jordan Teze finish, only for the visitors to draw level on the hour through Daler Kuzyaev's fine strike.
Le Havre then thought that they had taken a shock lead at the Stade Louis II, only for the offside flag to deny them by a couple of inches, and Monaco made the most of that reprieve as Eliesse Ben Seghir and Folarin Balogun rubber-stamped a hard-fought triumph.
Even with former attacking talisman Wissam Ben Yedder calling time on his Monegasques career over the summer, Saturday's hosts are thriving with Hutter at the helm and are level with both Marseille and PSG on 13 points, their highest total after five games since their title-winning 2016-17 season.
A slightly inferior goal difference means that Monaco are having to settle for the bronze medal placement at the moment, although with Marseille not in action until Sunday, they will at least rise to second spot with one point or three; PSG take on Rennes in the Friday evening fixture.
Monaco's next European assignment is on the horizon - Les Monegasques head to Croatia for a date with Dynamo Kyiv on October 2 - prior to which Saturday's hosts endeavour to make it eight wins from their last nine Ligue 1 matches to raise hopes of a sustained title push that little bit more.
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While Monaco have experienced that winning feeling plenty of times already this season, Montpellier had to wait until matchweek five to finally get off the mark for the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season, coming out on the right end of the scoreline in a five-goal thriller with Auxerre.
The old and the new combined on two occasions for La Paillade at the Stade de la Mosson, as long-serving skipper Teji Savanier laid on two assists for Chelsea-scouted striker Akor Adams, whose brace proved decisive alongside a Modibo Sagnan header.
It made a change for Montpellier to emerge victorious in a goal-laden affair, as they had suffered three chastening losses to PSG (6-0), Nantes (3-1) and Rennes (3-0) before last weekend's success, which lifted them above the dotted lines into 15th place.
Michel Der Zakarian's men are still dancing with the demotion devil, though, only two points better off than basement team Angers, and 15 goals conceded - an average of three per game - is by far the most of any team in the French top flight this season.
Furthermore, each of Montpellier's last five competitive and non-competitive away games has seen Der Zakarian's side suffer defeat, and they were condemned to a pair of back-to-back 2-0 losses to Monaco last season, although the 2022-23 campaign saw La Paillade stun the nation with a 4-0 win at the Stade Louis II.
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Team News
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As well as injury victims Edan Diop and Radoslaw Majecki, who are on the mend from foot and ankle injuries respectively, Monaco were without highly-rated right-back Vanderson against Le Havre for unknown reasons.
The Brazilian was expected to have been swapped out in a tactical change either way, although it is not clear whether his absence was fitness or selection related; either way, Teze and Caio Henrique out to continue out wide.
The midfield pivot of Lamine Camara and Soungoutou Magassa did not work last time out - both were taken off at half time - so Denis Zakaria should replace at least one of them on Saturday.
Montpellier are not so fortunate on the fitness front, as Der Zakarian lost 17-year-old attacking starlet Yanis Issoufou to a torn thigh muscle in the first half of the Auxerre win, and he is now facing between five and six weeks on the sidelines.
Issoufou joins Joris Chotard (calf), Mousa Tamari (ankle) and Othmane Maamma (hamstring) in the visitors' medical bay, and either Wahbi Khazri or Tanguy Coulibaly should be called upon to take the former's place on the left wing.
On a brighter note, Issiaga Sylla's thigh issue should settle down in time for the weekend, while left-back Lucas Mincarelli is also fine despite coming off at half time in gameweek five.
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Teze, Singo, Kehrer, Henrique; Minamino, Zakaria, Camara, Golovin; Balogun, Ben Seghir
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Bertaud; Sacko, Omeragic, Sagnan, Mincarelli; Nzingoula, Fayad; Nordin, Savanier, Coulibaly; Adams
We say: Monaco 3-1 Montpellier HSC
While Montpellier have got a major monkey off their back by claiming their first win of the season, Der Zakarian's men remain as vulnerable as ever in defence and should be given a harsh reality check in the principality.
Monaco could be forgiven for having one eye on their impending Champions League trip, but we have complete faith in Hutter's side to warm up for their trip to Croatia with a fourth win on the spin.
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