🔊 Will Monaco secure a home victory against the modest Le Havre? We'll find out soon enough, as the first round of Ligue 1 kicks off this Saturday with the Monegasques hosting Didier Digard's side. This clash promises to be highly intriguing. Let's delve into the current form of both teams as they approach this encounter and make a prediction on the match outcome.

Head-to-Head

📊 In five of the last six encounters between Monaco and Le Havre, we've witnessed a goal fest from both sides, with each team finding the back of the net at least once. This intriguing trend could be leveraged for a bet on the upcoming match.

Monaco Team Overview

⚪ Monaco had a solid last season, finishing 3rd and securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League. Adi Hütter's squad edged out Nice and Lyon by a single point, relegating them to the Europa League. Last year, Monaco dropped several points at the start of the Ligue 1 campaign due to numerous injuries to key starters. Now, with all main players fit, Paul Pogba is also set to return to the field in a couple of weeks as he regains form following an injury.

🔴 Ahead of the new season, the Monegasques played eight friendly matches, losing only one—their last match against Milan's Inter (1-2). It's also worth noting their solid performance against Ajax, where they secured a 1-1 draw.

Havre Team Overview

🔵 Last season, Le Havre's primary goal was to maintain their status in the top division, which they achieved by finishing 15th, just a single point clear of the relegation zone. For the upcoming season, Didier Digard's team has similar objectives: to maximize their performance in every match and avoid dropping to Ligue 2.

⚪ In their five preseason friendlies, Le Havre managed to score only once. Unsurprisingly, they didn't secure any victories and now head into a clash with last season's third-placed French team in less than ideal spirits. In their most recent outing, Le Havre suffered a 0-2 defeat to Spanish side Deportivo, showing little to no attacking prowess.

Latest news

Monaco

🎙 AS Monaco's head coach Adi Hütter spoke ahead of the match against Le Havre: “I'm pleased with our preparation. I'm glad that my entire squad is fit, which is a significant change from the past two seasons. I'm also satisfied with our friendly results, although we could have performed better against Ajax (2-2) and Inter Milan (1-2 loss). Overall, I'm happy with our style of play, especially since I feel we're improving steadily. Lastly, I want to highlight that there are no injuries, as all players are on the field. I also want to thank our medical and coaching staff for their outstanding work.

❌ Paul Pogba and Ansu Fati will not feature in the match against Le Havre, as the head coach believes they have not yet reached optimal form and are still recovering from injuries.

Havre

📄 Le Havre are grappling with significant financial difficulties that have impacted their transfer strategy. Not a single player was purchased during the offseason. Instead, 10 players joined as free agents, and another 3 returned from loan spells.

❌ French defender Thomas Delaine and Guinean midfielder Abdoulaye Touré will miss the upcoming clash with Monaco due to similar injuries—hamstring strains.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The upcoming match will be officiated by Ruddy Buquet. In his last 100 matches, he has shown 384 yellow cards, averaging 3.84 per game. In the last 10 matches, Monaco have averaged 2 yellow cards per game, while Le Havre have averaged 1.6. Neither team is particularly aggressive, rarely receiving yellow cards. Thus, we suggest betting on a total of under 4.5 yellow cards.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Monaco have been active during the off-season, scoring in each of their last five matches. In four of those games, Adi Hütter’s side netted 2 or more goals. Given that they are up against a weaker opponent and playing at home, we recommend betting on Monaco's individual total over 1.5 goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Monaco average 5.5 corners in their last 10 matches, while Le Havre average 3.5. Playing at home, the Monégasques are expected to dominate possession and apply significant pressure on Le Havre's goal. Therefore, we suggest considering a bet on Monaco with a -1.5 corner handicap.

Le Havre's current form raises many questions. Their pre-season was a disaster, lacking a solid attacking line and losing consistently. On the other hand, Monaco had a smooth preparation phase, facing strong opponents and achieving commendable results. The hosts are clear favorites in this matchup, and we predict a 3-1 victory for them. Considering the recent performances of both teams, we suggest taking Monaco with a -1.5 handicap.