Reigning Ligue 1 champions Monaco will be looking to claim all three points when they take on Lille at the Stade Louis II stadium on Friday evening, despite the hosts having already come to terms with the fact that PSG already have won hand on the title. Meanwhile, their opponents are looking to end a run of five top-flight matches without a victory.
French Ligue 1 – Stade Louis II, Monaco – Friday 16th March – 19:45 UK Time
Monaco vs Lille Match Preview
Monaco host relegation threatened Lille in Ligue 1 on Friday evening, with both sides requiring three points for differing reasons. Leonardo Jardim will be looking for his players to dominate from the off in front of their home fans, while Lille must return to form sooner rather than later if they are to steer clear of the drop zone come the end of the campaign. For those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Monaco Team News & Form
Three first half goals handed Monaco an impressive away win over Strasbourg last time around, leaving Jardim’s side four points clear of Marseille in the race for a Champions League qualifying position. The hosts have scored a massive 72 goals from their 29 Ligue 1 outings to date, with former Manchester United man Radamel Falcao having found the back of the net 17 times already. Elsewhere, the likes of Thomas Lemar, Fabinho and Rony Lopes help to make up an impressive starting line-up for the home side, who have dropped just two points from their last five Ligue 1 outings.
Lille Team News & Form
A home draw with Montpellier last time around means that Lille come into this week’s clash still a point clear of safety in the Ligue 1 standings, with the visitors having won just seven times all season. A lack of goals has been their biggest downfall, with manager Christophe Galtier having seen his side score just 28 times to date. Brazilian Thiago Maia and former Ajax attacker Anwar El Ghazi are among the most talented players for the visitors, who are in desperate need of a positive result on Friday evening.
Monaco vs Lille Head to Head
The two teams have met 26 times in the past, with Monaco having won 11 of such meetings, as well as registering six draws. In fact, Monaco have won the last three meetings between the duo, with an aggregate score of 12-1. Lille’s last success came in a 4-1 home win back in October 2016.
Monaco vs Lille Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their standing in the table and status as the home team this week, it comes as little surprise that it is Monaco who are the favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. The hosts can be backed at best odds of 3/10 found at Paddy Power, while those looking to back an away win for Lille can take advantage of odds of 12/1 with the same bookmaker.
Monaco vs Lille Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on Monaco to keep a clean sheet on Friday evening, which can be found at odds of 10/11 at Ladbrokes.