Monaco-Lyon is a Ligue 1 Week 16 match and is played Friday at 9 p.m.: stats, likely lineups, TV and predictions.
It was not easy to turn over a new leaf after the heavy defeat suffered at the Parc des Princes against Psg (5-2) for a Monaco side that seemed to have lost the polish of a few months ago. And instead, Adi Hutter’s team racked up two wins in a row against Montpellier and Rennes that allowed the Monegasques to continue to keep pace with second-place Nice and defend third place from a possible assault by Lille.
December, in short, began under the best auspices for a club that after a year as stingy with satisfaction as last year’s is aiming determinedly for a return to Europe. From this year in the Champions League, thanks to the new format, the top four from Ligue 1 will qualify and it is an opportunity not to be missed. Unquestionably, Hutter is doing a great job: this is only the fourth time in the new millennium that Monaco has reached 30 points after the first 15 days of the league, and when they have succeeded, they have then always finished in the top three at the end of the season. Suffice it to say that the last time this happened (33 points in the 2016-17 season) the red and white won Ligue 1.
Breath of fresh air for Lyon
Hutter’s men are doing well especially in front of their own public, where only leading Psg has scored more points, totaling 18 out of 21 available.
(Lacazette (Instagram)
Record that sounds like a sentence for derelict Lyon, which just took a breath of fresh air thanks to a 3-0 victory over Toulouse, returning to success after exactly one month. First joy for interim coach Pierre Sage, who took over from Fabio Grosso, who was exonerated within weeks of arriving in the transalpine city following Laurent Blanc’s departure. Despite the bombastic victory against the Occitan outfit, the Gones remain last but only three points behind the fourth-last.
The prediction
A swallow doesn’t make a summer: Lyon undoubtedly gave an important signal in the match with Toulouse but it is too early to say that the crisis is behind them. Monaco currently has a different pace than the Gones and especially at home has won the bulk of its points. Despite Golovin’s absence, the Monegasques are favored.
The likely lineups for Monaco-Lyon
MONACO (3-4-3): Köhn; Maripan, Zakaria, Magassa; Sing, Fofana, Camara, Jakobs; Minamino, Balogun, Diatta.
LIONE (4-2-3-1): Lopes; Mata, Lovren, O’Brien, Tagliafico; Tolisso, Caqueret; Nuamah, Cherki, Moreira; Lacazette.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-0
