Preview: Lille vs. Monaco - prediction, team news, lineups

Paulo Fonseca's side thumped Strasbourg 3-0 last time out, while Les Monegasques were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Clermont on their own patch.

Match preview

Six months ago, Strasbourg would have been billed as the favourites to beat Lille at the Stade de la Meinau when Julien Stephan was working wonders in the dugout. However, it was Les Dogues' new leader Paulo Fonseca who witnessed his side run riot over the struggling Coureurs.

Hotshot Jonathan David scored his eighth and ninth goals of the Ligue 1 season last weekend - a smartly-taken penalty and simple finish on the 76-minute mark - and a clinical first-time effort from Remy Cabella with 10 minutes to go rounded off an eye-catching Lille performance.

Beating high-flying Lens in the Derby du Nord two weekends ago certainly appeared to galvanize Les Dogues, who have now won three of their last four domestic matches and are knocking on the European door in seventh place in the table - two points off the top five at present.

Canadian international David firing in goals left, right and centre is good news for both club and country before next month's World Cup, and the 22-year-old will be integral to Lille's efforts of attempting to score for the 10th home game in a row this weekend.

Following Sunday's encounter, Lyon and Rennes will be lying in wait for Lille during a particularly challenging schedule, and not since October 2021 have this weekend's hosts won three on the bounce in the French top flight.

While Lille have warmed up for this game with back-to-back wins, it has been the opposite story for Monaco, whose Europa League hangover from their 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Trabzonspor was well and truly alive during their showdown with Clermont.

A 17th-minute red card for Mohamed Camara did Les Monegasques no favours at all, but they still managed to take the lead through Breel Embolo's rebound after his penalty was kept out by Mory Diaw, but Komnen Andric lashed home a leveller for Clermont eight minutes after half time.

Having been brought crashing back down to earth after their four-game winning run came to an end, Philippe Clement's sixth-placed crop have dropped out of the European places on goal difference and will fall further adrift of the continental chasers should they lose and be leapfrogged by Lille.

Clement may already have one eye on his side's make-or-break Europa League clash with Ferencvaros next week, but Monaco will be in no mood to relinquish their remarkable away run in Ligue 1, as Les Monegasques have gone unbeaten in their last 10 domestic matches on the road.

In that time, Clement's side have won each of their last three Ligue 1 away games without conceding a single goal, and they overcame Lille 2-1 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy as recently as May, with the now-departed Aurelien Tchouameni scoring both goals on the day.

Lille Ligue 1 form:

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Monaco Ligue 1 form:

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Monaco form (all competitions):

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Team News

While two Lille players in Bafode Diakite and Angel Gomes will return from suspension this week, Fonseca has lost two more men to yellow-card bans, and it is none other than Jose Fonte and Benjamin Andre - two of the first names on the teamsheet.

Diakite for Fonte is a straight swap at the back, while Jonas Martin is primed to deputize for Andre in the middle of the park alongside Andre Gomes. In terms of injuries, only 19-year-old attacker Alan Virginius should be missing with his unspecified issue.

Timothy Weah came off the bench to provide two assists from the right-hand side in the win over Strasbourg, and the 22-year-old will surely take the place of Adam Ounas for Sunday's game.

Lille are not the only ones with players on the naughty step this week, as Camara will serve his suspension after seeing red in the draw with Clermont - Eliot Matazo should fend off competition from Jean Lucas to deputize in the midfield.

Right-back Ruben Aguilar (foot) and attacker Willem Geubbels (muscle) remain in the treatment room for the visitors, and Clement did not hesitate to make two changes last weekend straight after Camara's red card, with Wissam Ben Yedder and Takumi Minamino being withdrawn.

Ben Yedder's spot up front alongside Embolo is surely safe, but Minamino's is less so, with Krepin Diatta fighting hard to regain his place in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, centre-back Benoit Badiashile was absent from last weekend's game due to adductor discomfort, but his issue should not prevent him from returning here.

Lille possible starting lineup:

Chevalier; Zedadka, Diakite, Djalo, Ismaily; Martin, Andre Gomes; Weah, Cabella, Bamba; David

Monaco possible starting lineup:

Nubel; Vanderson, Disasi, Maripan, Henrique; Golovin, Matazo, Fofana, Minamino; Ben Yedder, Embolo

We say: Lille 1-1 Monaco

Monaco would be foolish not to take full advantage of Andre and Fonte's absences this weekend, as losing two integral cogs of Fonseca's well-oiled machine certainly spells danger for the hosts.

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