Monaco vs Lyon prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2026-01-02 16:00.
[p]Both Monaco and Lyon will be looking to turn over a new leaf as the new year gets underway after indifferent finishes to 2025.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]He may have only arrived in October, but the pressure is already mounting on Monaco head coach SĂ©bastien Pocognoli. A 1-0 defeat to Marseille was the club’s fifth loss in six league matches (W1) and means that they slipped to ninth in the table – their lowest position in the French top flight since September 2022. The Red and Whites have at least had some recent success in cup competitions, including beating Auxerre 2-1 in the Coupe de France in their last game before Christmas, while returning to Stade Louis II should be a boost too, as 16 of their 23 points in Ligue 1 this season have been accumulated on home soil (W5, D1, L2).[/p]
[p]Looking to put a dent in that record are a Lyon side who have won three straight games for the first time since early October. One of those results was in the league, a 1-0 victory over Le Havre, during which they kept their ninth Ligue 1 clean sheet of the campaign – the highest such figure in the division. Defensive solidity has come at a cost though, as Paulo Fonseca’s men have scored only 22 goals in France’s top flight this season – the lowest total of any team in the top half of the table. Les Gones consequently sit in fifth place, with hopes of securing UEFA Champions League football for the first time in seven years hit by a run of just three wins in their last ten Ligue 1 encounters (D3, L4).[/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Having lost seven of the previous nine Ligue 1 H2Hs (W2), Monaco completed a first league double over Lyon since the 2013/14 season last term.[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Monaco’s 41 offsides is the most in Ligue 1 this season ahead of this round of fixtures.[/p]
[p]Pre-round, no team have received more yellow cards in Ligue 1 this term than Monaco (38).[/p]
[p]Lyon’s two defeats having led at half-time is a league-high figure this season (W3, D1).[/p]
[p]Lyon have dropped a league-high nine points this term due to goals conceded after the 75th minute.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Folarin Balogun has only been on the losing side in one of the last 13 games that he has scored in for Monaco (W10, D2). Looking to thwart him will likely be Lyon defender Moussa Niakhaté, who has tasted defeat in each of his four personal H2Hs![/p]
[p]Monaco’s Takumi Minamino suffered an ACL injury against Auxerre, while Lyon don’t seem to have any fresh absentees.[/p]
[p]For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]They generally do well at home, so Monaco to win seems the most likely outcome here.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Matt Jones[/i][/p]