Monaco vs Reims prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-03-11 16:05.
A frustrated Philippe Clement hit out at Monaco’s lack of concentration after their Ligue 1 title charge hit the buffers last weekend. The boss was critical of his players for not being “focused for 90 minutes” after conceding a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Troyes, a result that left Monaco 12 points off top-spot ahead of the round, dissipating any lingering title dreams.
The Monégasques had been within striking distance of leaders PSG but two games without a victory (D1, L1) leaves them simply fighting for second place. With a four-point gap to Marseille in second, Clement will be demanding a response as his side return to Stade Louis-II, where despite suffering their biggest home defeat since August in losing 3-0 to Nice last time out, they have won seven of their last ten league outings (D1, L2).
A return to form will be difficult against visitors Reims though, who are 18 league games without defeat (W8, D10), the longest current unbeaten run in Europe’s top five divisions despite the fact they are swallowing up a £22,000 fine per match because boss Will Still doesn’t have his UEFA pro licence. The most recent of those fixtures saw Jens Cajuste net an injury winner against Ajaccio (1-0) and left Still urging his players not to “set ourselves limits” on where they might finish this season.
The Red and Whites ended match day 26 in eighth place in Ligue 1, leaving some fans dreaming of qualifying for a UEFA competition for only the second time in 60 years. To do that though, Reims must surely start turning some of their away draws into wins, as they have had eight stalemates in their last nine league outings on the road (W1).
Key battle: Monaco captain Wissam Ben Yedder, who bagged a brace against Troyes last weekend, has netted eight times in 15 appearances against Reims (W7, D6, L2). He may be trying to get the better of visiting skipper Yunis Abdelhamid, who has only beaten the Monégasques twice in 13 attempts (D6, L5), with neither of those victories coming in away matches.
Hot stat: Monaco’s average of 3.92 goals per home game is the highest in Ligue 1, whereas Reims’ away fixtures average 1.92 strikes, the joint lowest in the division ahead of the round.