Monaco – Lille

Two giants of the French game languishing in mid-table do battle at the Stade Louis II on Friday night, as Monaco play host to Ligue 1 champions Lille. Niko Kovac’s men currently occupy 11th spot in the rankings, while the holders sit one place and two points below their upcoming hosts.

Kovac’s men drew a blank for a third game in a row across all competitions just before the international break as they were held to a goalless draw by Reims, with Les Monegasques also drawing 0-0 with PSV Eindhoven and losing 2-0 to Brest before the international break. Les Monegasques also have next week’s Europa League battle with Real Sociedad to take into account, but Kovac will relish the five-day gap in between games and ought to have used his time wisely during the international break to assess his side’s struggles.

The hosts need no lessons in producing the goods at home, though, as they have strung together a three-game winning streak in Ligue 1 at the Stade Louis II – scoring three goals each time and conceding just two – so Monaco should sense an opportunity to sink the wounded champions.