Dijon welcome reigning Ligue 1 champions Monaco to the Stade Gaston Gérard on Sunday evening, in what is just the second league encounter of the season for both teams.
Dijon FCO
Dijon narrowly avoided relegation last season and an opening weekend defeat at the hands of Marseille suggests that it may well be another difficult campaign for manager Olivier Dall’Oglio and his players. Things at Dijon have been made especially difficult after they lost two of their best players to Ligue 1 rivals, with Lois Diony and Pierre Lees Melou departing to St Etienne and Nice respectively. Dijon fans will be hopeful that the transfers of Wesley Lautoa and Wesley Said can help to fill the void in which they have left. Despite showing promise in the first half of their encounter with Marseille, three quick goals quickly put them to the sword, in what was a capitulation all too familiar for Dijon fans.
Troyes
Monaco have made headlines both on and off the field in the last few months, with their Ligue 1 title win being followed up with a whole host of departures from the Stade Louis II Stadium. The likes of Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy, Tiemoué Bakayoko and Valère Germain have all departed for pastures new, meaning that Monaco will almost have to start from scratch this season. A narrow victory over Toulouse saw them claim three points on the opening day of the season, however they were far from convincing in front of their home fans. Manager Leonardo Jardim will be hoping to have young star Kylian Mbappe available following his injury picked up against Toulouse, while a whole host of European clubs remain keen on acquiring his services.
Head to Head
Dijon and Monaco have only met five times in their history, with the home for Sunday’s clash having yet to register a single win against the French giants. Monaco have three wins and two draws to their name, however their encounters last season were particularly tight affairs. A 1-1 draw at the Stade Gaston Gérard at the end of 2016 was followed up by a 2-1 victory for Monaco in the South of France, demonstrating that Dijon may well have a chance of causing an upset this weekend.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Taking all of this information into account, there are a whole host of potential markets for betting customers to take advantage of. If the match follows a similar path to the encounters between the duo last season, backing both teams to score could well be a fruitful decision, which can be found at best odds of 3/4 at Ladbrokes. With the attacking talents of Radamel Falcao and Julio Tavares on display, goals could well be in order on Sunday.
Meanwhile, given the fact that Monaco have never lost to Dijon in a competitive fixture, backing either an away win or a draw between the duo on Sunday is another option for punters, with odds of 1/6 at William Hill.
Top Betting Tip
Although the previously suggested bets are both potential winners, our top betting tip for the match between Dijon and Monaco provides much more appealing odds. We are backing customers to bet on the ‘Draw-Monaco’ market, which can be found at odds of 3/1 at Ladbrokes. This means that the score at half time must be a draw, with Monaco winning the second half.