Lille vs Monaco prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-02-21 16:00.
[p]It is more than a decade since Lille last qualified for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) in back-to-back years. The Mastiffs look good value to do just that this season as they are still going strong in this season’s UCL and sit fifth in Ligue 1, while they can jump into the top four this weekend by beating a Monaco side who sit directly above them.[/p]
[p]Lille’s position in the table comes despite an inconsistent campaign, one in which they haven’t won successive league matches since October. Bruno GĂ©nĂ©sio’s men beat Rennes 2-0 last Sunday though – keeping a first clean sheet in nine outings across all competitions – so will look to end that run this weekend. Their home form offers reason to be positive too, as a 2-1 loss to Le Havre in their most recent game at Stade Pierre-Mauroy is their sole league defeat there since early September (W5, D3). [/p]
[p]The visitors will not make life easy though, as Monaco have lost just three of the last 16 league H2Hs (W8, D5), although those defeats have all come in away matches, with the two most recent losses occurring in the last two campaigns. The Red and Whites are also currently without a win in five top-flight games on the road (D2, L3) for the first time in one season since May 2019, conceding ten goals in the process.[/p]
[p]In fact, of the teams currently in Ligue 1’s top six, the Monégasques’ total of 14 away points this season is the lowest. That is hampering their own prospects of qualifying for the UCL, something they will need to do via the league after being eliminated from the competition on Tuesday following a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Benfica. Confidence should be high though, as Monaco registered their joint-biggest win since October 2016 by battering Nantes 7-1 last weekend. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Lille striker Jonathan David has netted first or last in 19 of his last 20 Ligue 1 goalscoring appearances. Monaco’s January signing Mika Biereth has been in fine form since his move, scoring seven times in just five league games, including two hat-tricks – becoming the first Monaco player to score a hat-trick in the top-flight for two years.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Monaco’s last eight Ligue 1 matches have averaged 4.63 goals per game – a high for the division during that period heading into the weekend. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matt Jones[/i][/p]