In the pick of the games this weekend in Ligue 1, Monaco and Marseille will continue their hunt for automatic Champions League qualification when they meet at the Stade Louis II.
Monaco relinquished second place to Marseille last weekend, but Adi Hutter's men remain third in what is becoming an incredibly tight race for the top four.
Match preview
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Flat-track bullies is a description perfectly suited to Monaco this season, because they find themselves on 50 points despite taking only 14 in 16 matches against clubs currently in the top half of Ligue 1.
Hutter's side added to that run last weekend, falling to a 2-1 defeat away to Brest and dropping to third, and they could lose more places with another disappointing result this weekend.
Strasbourg are just one point below them, while fifth-place Lyon are also within touching distance, so the final six matches of the Ligue 1 season are set to be pivotal.
Monaco can fall back on superb form at the Stade Louis II, though, because they remain the only team in Ligue 1 who still have a 100% record on home soil in 2025, winning all five matches and scoring 19 goals in the process.
You have to go back six years to find the last time Monaco won six in a row at home, illustrating what a fine achievement it would be, while it would also ensure they move back into second place.
Marseille are challenging opponents, but Monaco have scored in 21 of their previous 22 clashes in Ligue 1, suggesting the visiting attack will need to be on form in this one.
No team has won as many away games at Monaco in Ligue 1 than Marseille, though, with 20 victories in the principality in 53 trips, and four of the last six have ended victoriously for them.
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It helps that Roberto De Zerbi's side ended a three-game losing run by beating Toulouse 3-2 at the Stade Velodrome last time out; a must-needed win after the drama which ensued heading into the game, with the manager refusing to take training after their defeat to Reims.
Defence remains a slight concern, because no second-placed team at this stage of a Ligue 1 season has conceded as many goals as Marseille have (38) this season since Bordeaux in 1983 (39).
That comes as no surprise given De Zerbi's style of play, and they have made up for that with some scintillating attacking play at times, with OM averaging over two goals-per-game in Ligue 1.
A response away is required though after their recent dismal run, because after taking 27 points from a possible 33 in their first 11 games on the road this season, they have now lost three in succession.
Team News
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Monaco will be without young defender Christian Mawissa and Swiss striker Breel Embolo due to suspension here, so that could see Hutter revert back to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Eliesse Ben Seghir and Aleksandr Golovin will be battling for that spot in the XI, after both only making the bench in their last two games, while Mika Biereth will look to continue his astonishing home form, having scored 11 goals at the Stade Louis II in just five appearances here.
On the injury list, Kassoum Ouattara, Soungoutou Magassa and Jordan Teze remain sidelined, having all missed the last few weeks of action.
Marseille are set to be without defensive duo Luiz Felipe and Leonardo Balerdi, while Amine Gouiri is also a doubt, and would be a big miss, given that he has contributed to seven goals in eight Marseille starts since his move in January.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is in contention to start after returning as an unused substitute in the win over Toulouse last weekend, but he will have to dislodge one of the current in-form central midfield partners Ismael Bennacer or Valentin Rongier.
There was also a welcome return for Faris Moumbagna, who has missed almost the entire season with a serious knee injury, but could get his first minutes in many months this weekend.
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Singo, Henrique; Zakaria, Camara; Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir; Biereth
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Rulli; Murillo, Cornelius, Kondogbia; Henrique, Bennacer, Hojbjerg, Merlin; Greenwood, Rowe, Rabiot
We say: Monaco 2-2 Marseille
Two teams with very impressive frontlines are set to serve up an entertaining encounter here, but a draw will certainly be a better result for the visitors, given their slight superiority in the league table.
There have been 31 goals in Monaco's last six home matches, and given Marseille's record at both ends of the pitch this season too, goals are certainly in store.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
