Monaco vs Aston Villa prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2025-01-20 17:45.
[p]The UEFA Champions League (UCL) returns for its penultimate league phase round with Monaco looking to make a final push towards the top-eight places. Heading into this on the back of a four-game winless run that has seen them dumped out of two domestic cup competitions and their grip on a UCL spot in Ligue 1 considerably loosened, bouncing back in Europe would be just what Adi Hütter’s men need. [/p]
[p]Monaco can welcome opponents Aston Villa with quiet confidence after remaining unbeaten in seven of their nine European home games against English opposition (W5, D2, L2). Even so, That should serve as a timely confidence boost, as the MonĂ©gasques followed up four unbeaten UCL games to start this campaign with back-to-back defeats, conceding three times in each – they’ve never done so in three successive matches in this competition.[/p]
[p]In contrast to their hosts, Villa arrive here on the back of a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W3, D2) which has kept them in touch with the race for Europe in the Premier League. Losing just once on the continent so far this term (W4, D1, L1), Villa’s top-eight fate remains firmly in their own hands, however anything short of victory could see others close the gap on the Villans, who have coincidentally never won an away H2H against a French opponent (D2, L2). [/p]
[p]That’s not a record that’ll worry boss Unai Emery, who formerly managed in France and has six consecutive H2H victories against Monaco. He’ll hope his Villa side can add to that and improve a solid travelling record in the UCL so far (W2, L1), with both victories seeing them score exactly three times and only three sides boasting more than their six away points.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Assisting in his last two league outings, Monaco’s Lamine Camara seems to have a target on his back on the continent, having suffered the third-most fouls of players in this competition (15). For Villa, Jhon Durán has scored three times across his last six UCL appearances despite starting in just one of those matches. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Monaco have scored 75% of their UCL goals this season at home, averaging exactly three goals per game here. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]