Clermont welcome Monaco to the Stade Gabriel-Montpied on Sunday afternoon as both sides open their 2023-24 Ligue 1 accounts.
The hosts finished just two places and six points behind the visitors last season, with Clermont overachieving and Monaco flattering to deceive.
Match preview
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Having narrowly avoided relegation in 2021-22 - finishing one place above the bottom three - Clermont would have settled for another close shave last season, but Pascal Gastien's men exceeded all expectations in 2022-23.
After winning 17 of their 38 league matches, Les Lanciers registered a hugely impressive eighth-placed finish last term, ending the campaign within eight points of the European spots.
Clermont lost just one of their final 10 matches last season, picking eight wins in the process, with five successive home victories preceding a memorable 3-2 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on the final day.
Better still, Les Lanciers have suffered a solitary defeat in six pre-season friendlies this summer, keeping three clean sheets along the way, so Gastien's men will be brimming with belief ahead of the new campaign.
Clermont have also managed to keep hold of many of their key performers from last season, including Grejohn Kyei - who bagged 10 goals and four assists in 2022-23 - and highly-rated playmaker Muhammed Cham.
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Monaco registered seven top-three finishes in nine seasons between 2013-14 and 2021-22, clinching the Ligue 1 title in 2016-17, but the Red and Whites ended up experiencing a below-par 2022-23 campaign.
Posting a record of 19 wins, eight draws and 11 losses, Adi Hutter's side finished sixth last term, two points outside the European places and 19 points shy of the top two.
Although Monaco finished the season with the second-best offensive record in the division - having scored 70 goals in 38 games - Les Monegasques also conceded 58 goals last term, giving them the worst defensive record in the top 11.
That said, Hutter's men enjoyed plenty of success on their travels in 2022-23, recording 10 wins, five draws and four losses in 19 away league outings, while only two teams picked up more points on the road last season.
Key centre-back Axel Disasi will be missed after departing the club this summer, joining Chelsea in a deal worth around €45m, although ex-Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu could prove to be the ideal replacement for Disasi.
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Team News
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Clermont manager Pascal Gastien will likely deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation on Sunday, with Muhammed Cham and Elbasan Rashani supporting Grejohn Kyei in attack.
Following a successful loan spell last season, former Spartak Moscow defender Maximiliano Caufriez has returned to the Stade Gabriel-Montpied on a permanent basis, and the Belgian looks set to join Alidu Seidu and Mateusz Wieteska in the backline this weekend.
As for Monaco, Adi Hutter is expected to utilise his favoured 4-3-2-1 formation, with Wissam Ben Yedder - who netted 25 goals across all competitions last term - leading the line.
Ex-Liverpool star Takumi Minamino and Russian playmaker Aleksandr Golovin will likely line up behind the lone striker, while Soungoutou Magassa, Mohamed Camara and Youssouf Fofana should start in midfield.
Clermont possible starting lineup:
Diaw; Seidu, Wieteska, Caufriez; Zeffane, Gonalons, Gastien, Borges; Cham, Rashani; Kyei
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Vanderson, Matsima, Maripan, Henrique; Magassa, Camara, Fofana; Minamino, Golovin; Ben Yedder
We say: Clermont 2-2 Monaco
Buoyed by last season's achievements - especially on home soil - Clermont will be confident of kick-starting their campaign with a positive result on Sunday, but the hosts may have to settle for a draw as Monaco aim to build on their impressive away record from 2022-23.
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