Monaco vs St Etienne prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-08-16 19:00.
[p]The postponement of Monaco’s Super Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain means that they’ll be starting the 2024/25 Ligue 1 campaign with no competitive football behind them, and despite a 3-0 friendly victory over Barcelona last Saturday, some inconsistent results in their second pre-season under head coach Adi Hütter left a lot to be desired. Six victories from their first nine league games last term (D2, L1) on the way to their best finish (second) in six years is a recent reminder however that erratic summer form means nothing when the real football begins![/p]
[p]Home fans will be hopeful that Monaco pick up where they left off after finishing 2023/24 with four consecutive wins at Stade Louis II, collecting three clean sheets along the way. Some indifferent performances at home to newly promoted clubs Le Havre (D 1-1) and Metz (W 2-1 after conceding first) last season, certainly won’t boost belief, while the fact they also dropped points against nearly-relegated Lorient (D 2-2), shows they have an err of vulnerability ahead of the visit of Ligue 1 new boys Saint-Étienne. [/p]
[p]Les Verts were on the brink of disaster when in the relegation zone halfway through the 2022/23 Ligue 2 campaign, and 2023/24 also looked set to be miserable after five consecutive losses prompted a change in management. Experienced boss Olivier Dall’Oglio duly worked his magic after arriving in December, steering the team to a promotion play-off final win over Metz to end their two-year top-flight absence. [/p]
[p]Dall’Oglio admitted some concern last week about his squad’s mounting pre-season injury list, which is the last thing that they needed given the difficulty of their opposition. Saint-Étienne won only one of their four Ligue 2 away trips to fellow top-five finishers last term (D1, L2), so a significant step up is required if they are to enjoy immediate success on their Ligue 1 return. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Monaco’s Takumi Minamino is a very effective goalscorer, as all seven of his competitive goals for club or country since the start of the AFC Asian Cup early this year have been delivered during wins. Saint-Étienne striker Ibrahim Sissoko will feel he deserves his chance in the top flight after delivering double-digit goalscoring hauls across each of the last three Ligue 2 campaigns.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: 62% of Monaco’s 34 Ligue 1 matches last season produced more than 2.5 total goals – a percentage eclipsed only by PSG and Lorient (both 65%). [/p]
[p][i]Written by Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]