Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
All eyes will be on Stade Louis II when two French giants Monaco and PSG go head to head in the Ligue 1 derby. Les Rouges et Blancs are eyeing a spot in the Champions League, and a win over les Parisiens could see them climb to top three in the standings. Kevin Volland is pushing for a start, whereas all Eliesse Ben Seghir, Vanderson, and Malang Sarr continue to miss out with injuries.
The reigning champions, on the other hand, will be without Kylian Mbappe in Saturday’s clash, which is probably the main reason why home win should be considered. Sergio Ramos has overcome his injury as well, but Presnel Kimpembe remains in the recovery room. Brazil ace Neymar made his return from injury in the Coupe de France loss to Olympique Marseille. As always, a man to keep an eye on in the away team will be Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, who sealed the victory against Toulouse.
Highlighted Player (Lionel Messi):
Lionel Messi is regarded as one of the best players in the history of football. He was born on 24 June, 1987 in Rosario and he began his football career at Newell’s Old Boys. At age 10 he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, but having realized his potential at a young age, Barcelona decided to pay for his treatment.
Messi joined Barca in 2001 and he has been playing for the Camp Nou outfit ever since. The Argentine magician has won eight La Liga trophies with Barca and he helped the Catalan giants lift no less than four Champions League titles (2005/2006, 2008/2009, 2010/2011, 2014/2015).
In the 2011/2012 La Liga campaign Messi scored 50 goals for Barca, while netting 14 goals in the 2011/2012 Champions League campaign. The five-time Golden Ball award winner has established himself as Barcelona’s all-time top scorer, but he has yet to win a trophy with Argentina national team at major tournaments. Leo Messi, though, has won Olympic Gold Medal (2008) and FIFA World Youth Championship (2005), with la Albiceleste.
Highlighted Team (Monaco):
Though based in Monaco, Les Rouges et Blances – as they are commonly referred to – play their games in the French football league system. Members of the top tier Ligue 1, Monaco play their home matches at the Stade Louis II in Fontvieille in front of 18,500 people. The Principality club boasts a turbulent history, which saw Monaco reach the highest heights of both domestic and international scene, but also get relegated to the amateur leagues at the very beginnings and to Ligue 2 in 2010-11 season.
The following year AS Monaco were acquired by the Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, whose heavy investments turned the Principality club into one of the biggest spenders in Europe in 2013 and reestablishing its place among Europe’s top clubs.
AS Monaco have had notable European results in the modern football era having been runners-up in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1992 and the UEFA Champions League in 2004. One of the most successful clubs in France AS Monaco have so far won seven league titles and five Coupe de France trophies.