Two teams flying high at the top of Ligue 1 lock horns at the Stade Auguste-Delaune on Saturday when Reims play host to Monaco.
Just one point separates these two clubs after seven matches, with Will Still's side in third place sitting marginally behind Adi Hutter's men at the summit.
Match preview
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After rounding off the month of September with a 2-1 away victory against Lille, Reims kick-started October with a 2-0 home win over a struggling Lyon outfit last weekend.
Lyon failed to convert a number of decent chances in the first half before a brilliant diving header from Marshall Munetsi opened the scoring for Reims on the stroke of half time, and the hosts eventually secured all three points courtesy of another header, this time from captain Yunis Abdelhamid midway through the second half.
Les rouges et blancs have now accumulated 13 points from their opening seven games, their highest tally at this stage of a Ligue 1 campaign since the 1974-75 season, and they can climb to the top of the table with victory over Monaco this weekend.
Having won both of their first two home games this season and well as two of their last three meetings with Monaco, Will Still's side have every reason to feel confident of further success on Saturday.
Only Monaco (18) and Paris Saint-Germain (14) have scored more Ligue 1 goals than Reims (13) so far this season, finding the net in each of their first seven games in the process, but Still will be wary of the challenges that his team could face in front of goal this weekend as they have failed to scored in each of their last four home encounters with Les Monegasques.
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Monaco bounced back from their first defeat of the season by Nice (1-0) when they came out on top in a five-goal thriller at home against Marseille last weekend, coming from behind twice to record a 3-2 victory.
Folarin Balogun made amends for his two missed penalties in the loss to Nice by scoring in between two strikes from Maghnes Akliouche as Adi Hutter's men claimed maximum points for the fourth time this season to climb above second-placed Brest to the top of Ligue 1 on goal difference.
Monaco, who have now picked up eight points from losing positions so far this season, have certainly shown their threat in the final third this term as they have scored at least three goals in five different top-flight games, more than any other team in Europe's top-five leagues.
Les Monegasques have also shown signs of weakness at the back, though, as they have conceded 10 goals in their first seven fixtures, more than any team currently sitting in the top half of the Ligue 1 table, and nine of those goals have been shipped across their first three away matches.
Monaco will be seeking revenge against Reims after losing 1-0 in their most recent meeting in March, and securing all three points on Saturday will all but consolidate their place at the summit heading into the international break.
Team News
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Reims will be without left-back Josh Wilson-Esbrand as the Manchester City loanee is still recovering from an ankle injury, and fellow defender Maxime Busi is also sidelined with a hamstring problem.
Still will see no reason to disrupt the harmony of his starting lineup following their recent run of results, so Joseph Okumu could keep his place at centre-back ahead of Emmanuel Agbadou, joining Thomas Foket, Abdelhamid and Thibault De Smet in the back four.
Midfield duo Teddy Teuma and Marshall Munetsi have five goals between then so far this season and they will likely start alongside Azor Matusiwa in the middle of the pitch, while Mohamed Daramy is set to be supported in attack by Japanese wingers Junya Ito and Keito Nakamura.
As for Monaco, Breel Embolo and Caio Henrique are both long-term absentees with ACL injuries, while Eliesse Ben Seghir (thigh) and Mohammed Salisu (groin) could return after the international break.
Takumi Minamino missed the win over Marseille due to a muscle problem and he is doubtful for this weekend's fixture, but Aleksandr Golovin is available to return from a one-match ban, although he faces competition from Akliouche for a start in the No.10 role.
Balogun is poised to face his former club where he scored 21 Ligue 1 goals last season on loan from Arsenal, and the American is set to be joined in attack by Wissam Ben Yedder who has gone four games without a goal after netting four times in his first three league appearances this season.
Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Foket, Okumu, Abdelhamid, De Smet; Teuma, Matusiwa, Munetsi; Ito, Daramy, Nakamura
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Singo, Maripan, Magassa; Vanderson, Camara, Zakaria, Jakobs; Golovin; Ben-Yedder, Balogun
We say: Reims 1-2 Monaco
An entertaining contest between two of Ligue 1's highest scoring teams could be in store on Saturday, and they will both be motivated by the prospect of entering the international break sitting at the top of the table.
Although Monaco's defensive frailties will be a cause for concern for Hutter, the visitors should have enough firepower in their lineup to outscore their opponents en route to claiming all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
