Lyon vs. Monaco: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Olympique Lyon and AS Monaco have been two of the most disappointing teams early during the 2014-15 Ligue 1 season, but on Friday, one of them will have the chance to right the ship in a head-to-head at the Stade de Gerland.
Lyon are losers of their last three and desperately need a win to get out of their slump, but they'll be facing a Monaco team that showed signs of life in their 1-1 draw against Lille.
The 2014 summer transfer window saw a lot of star players depart both clubs, and Friday's fixture will feature two top clubs still in search of an identity.
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Date: Friday, September 12
Time: 7.30 p.m. BST/2:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Stade de Gerland, Lyon
TV info and live stream: The match will be available for viewing via BeIN Sports' Connect app (for US viewers).
Preview
The 2014-15 season hasn't been kind to either of these clubs. Monaco entered the summer expecting to contend for a Ligue 1 title and ready to challenge on the European level, while Lyon will have had a top-four finish on their minds.
After four matches, both teams are closer to the relegation zone than the European places. Lyon's start to the season was promising, with a 2-0 win against Rennes, but three straight defeats have brought the hosts back down to Earth.
Meanwhile, Monaco failed to deal with the departure of playmaker James Rodriguez and stumbled out of the gate with two consecutive losses. A 1-0 win against Nantes and a draw against Lille give reasons for hope, but it still looks like the club will fall well short of expectations this year.
Monaco's problems are simple: Les Rouges et Blancs have conceded seven times in just four matches. For a club with title aspirations, that's simply too much. Four of those goals came courtesy of Bordeaux, leading to Goal's Robin Bairner criticising Leonardo Jardim's tactical approach:
Jardim's 2013-14 season at the helm of Sporting Lisbon was beyond impressive, but the Portuguese manager has little to no experience managing a team full of stars, and it shows.
It doesn't help that he lost his two best players in Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao, although Jardim stressed the importance of the team over individual quality, as shared by Get French Football:
Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette has started the 2014-15 season on fire, picking up right where he left off last season, per WhoScored.com:
The 23-year-old has been in fine form, but his teammates haven't followed suit. In four matches, Steed Malbranque is the only other member of Les Gones to score even a single goal.
Yoann Gourcuff is finally back in the training ground after spending months on the sidelines due to a series of injuries, but while he's expected to feature in some form against Monaco, the chances of him starting are slim, per Ligue1.com.
Clement Grenier won't return anytime soon, however, and without their midfield maestro pulling the strings, the hosts have struggled to find any openings in their opponents' defences.
That won't change against Monaco, who seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time. While a trip to the Stade de Gerland is never easy, the visitors should be strong favourites going into this tie.
