Asked what kind of game he expects against Lille, AS Monaco manager Philippe Clement’s response was emphatic – “spectacular.” Clement’s and Paulo Fonseca’s sides are both in that ‘best-of-the-rest’ category so far this season. Just five points separate third-placed Lens from seventh-placed Lille. Following back-to-back wins for the first time this season, Lille now have Monaco in their sights.
“I think it will be a spectacular match that everyone should watch,” said Clement in the pre-match press conference. “Lille are a team with a lot of quality. In Jonathan David, they also have a very good attacker that scores lots of goals. They are a side that are always playing to win, like us. We are going to Lille to win, to score goals, and to keep a clean sheet,” he continued.
Along with Lorient and Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco have the longest unbeaten run in the league. Following five consecutive victories, the Principality side were held by Clermont Foot after Mohamed Camara’s early red card at the Stade Louis II. Despite that early setback, Clement’s side secured a draw, but they will be hoping to keep all 11 men on the pitch this weekend to give them the best chance of winning the headline fixture.
“If we could have taken the three points against Clermont, we could have said that we are showing great consistency. What is true is that in the last 6-7 weeks, there is great stability in the team, and I think that shows in our performances,” Clement told Get French Football News’ Luke Entwistle.
Playing up the quality of the tie, Fonseca described Monaco as a “big client,” going on to praise their individual quality, as well as their defensive solidity.
However, as Clement told GFFN, Monaco will be without Ruben Aguilar, who is in a battle to be fit to feature before the World Cup next month. It is also uncertain whether Benoît Badiashile will be thrown back into the starting side after missing the previous two matches with a minor abductor injury.
Click Here: cheap gold coast titans jerseysMonaco predicted line-up
Nübel – Henrique, Badiashile, Disasi, Vanderson – Golovin, Matazo, Fofana, Diatta – Ben Yedder, Embolo.
Lille predicted line-up
Chevalier – Ismaily, Djaló, Diakité, Zedadka – Andre Gomes, Angel Gomes – Bamba, Cabella, Ounas – David.