Monaco vs. PSG: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream, TV Info
Seven-time French champions AS Monaco host defending Ligue 1 title-holders and four-time winners Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Louis II. For Les Parisiens, it is a chance to take top spot after league leaders Olympique Lyonnais’ defeat away at Lille OSC, while Les Monegasques can close on third-placed Olympique de Marseille with a game in hand.
Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 8 p.m. GMT (9 p.m. CET)/4 p.m. ET
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Venue: Stade Louis II, Monaco
TV Info: BT Sports 1 (UK), Canal+ (France)
Live Stream: beIN Sports CONNECT (USA)
Preamble
Following Lyon’s surprise 2-1 defeat in Lille on Saturday, PSG have the chance to go top of the Ligue 1 table outright in Monaco. However, in order to do that, they must beat Leonardo Jardim’s difficult to break down principality outfit.
Les Monegasques boast the strongest defence in Le Championnat—just 19 goals conceded—and are unbeaten in three matches against Laurent Blanc’s men since their return to the French top flight last season. The pair drew 1-1 earlier in the season when Anthony Martial's late equaliser saved a point for Monaco at Parc des Princes.
The hosts are also coming off the back of a superb 3-1 win away at Arsenal in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.
PSG are in good overall form, having won nine games across all competitions so far in 2015, drawing three and losing the other one. Monaco have won eight, drawn three and lost one, but one of those draws did end up in a Coupe de la Ligue semi-final defeat on penalties at home to SC Bastia.
Both sides have absentees, with PSG’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended for this and next Wednesday’s Coupe de France clash between the pair in Paris. Lucas Moura, Thiago Motta, Yohan Cabaye and Serge Aurier also miss out through injury, but David Luiz and Marco Verratti are back from suspension.
ASM will be without strong central defender Aymen Abdennour; the Tunisian is banned, meaning that captain Jeremy Toulalan will return from his Champions League suspension in defence and not midfield. Ricardo Carvalho, Andrea Raggi, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Lacina Traore will also miss out through injury.
Form Lines
Monaco:
W. 3-1 vs. Arsenal (Champions League)
W. 1-0 vs. OGC Nice (Ligue 1)
W. 3-1 vs. Stade Rennais (Coupe de France)
L. 1-0 vs. EA Guingamp (Ligue 1)
D. 0-0 (losing 6-7 on penalties) vs. SC Bastia (Coupe de la Ligue)
PSG:
W. 3-1 vs. Toulouse (Ligue 1)
D. 1-1 vs. Chelsea (Champions League)
D. 2-2 vs. Stade Malherbe Caen (Ligue 1)
W. 2-0 vs. FC Nantes (Coupe de France)
D. 1-1 vs. Lyon (Ligue 1)
Predicted Formations
Player to Watch Per Side
Monaco boasted a number of outstanding performers in the 3-1 Champions League win over Arsenal in midweek, but midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia perhaps edged it as Les Monegasques’ star man.
The French midfield powerhouse will need to be at his best again when PSG visit, otherwise Blanc’s men may well be able to dominate the midfield battle and dictate the play in the principality.
Kondogbia scored the opening goal against the Gunners, but he was a dominant presence in the middle of the park. However, Les Parisiens’ midfield three is stronger than Arsenal’s and will present a tough challenge for Jardim’s side and the 22-year-old.
Now that Javier Pastore is fully fit and back in the PSG starting XI, the Argentinian is the man to watch for the defending French champions. El Flaco’s sublime assist for the second of Adrien Rabiot’s two goals in the 3-1 win over Toulouse last week was just the latest example of the South American’s reinvigoration this season.
Pastore will likely play as part of a front three at Stade Louis II, as well as Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi, but that combination will allow him to take up his preferred No. 10 position at times.
The 25-year-old’s creativity will provide PSG with some much-needed attacking thrust, which will be vital up against a rock-solid Monaco defence.
Key Battle
Arguably the key battle in this match will be the one between Monaco captain, and stand-in central defender, Jeremy Toulalan and PSG’s main attacking threat Edinson Cavani.
The Uruguayan has looked a different player when played alone and not alongside strike partner Ibrahimovic and he will be relishing the opportunity to come up against the Frenchman and Brazilian defender Wallace.
Cavani will fancy his chances of breaching Les Monegasques’ back line, while his presence in the middle will require plenty of attention. Assuming that regular starting right-back Fabinho continues in midfield after an excellent display against Arsenal, the inexperienced Almamy Toure will likely start at right-back.
If this happens, then Cavani will need to draw the Monaco defence in so that PSG can perhaps exploit Toure’s naivety with plenty of pressure on the left.
Although Toulalan is an excellent player and very well-rounded, the Frenchman is not an ideal central defender and Jardim will likely miss Abdennour as he prepares his defence for the game.
Odds (Per Oddschecker)
Home win - 12/5
Away win - 11/5
Draw - 16/11
