If you are a Serie A and/or Ligue 1 fan, then today is your lucky day. Not only will today feature title contenders Roma taking on Juventus, but also following the Giallorossi-Bianconeri rumble, two of the French league's richest sides - Monaco and PSG - will feature in their own battle between competitors for the league crown.
For the hosts, they will still be reeling after being dumped out of the Champions League. It was a classic case of "winning the battle, but losing the war" against Valencia, who, despite losing 2-1 in the second leg, was able to progress thanks to their 3-1 win in their first match. Still, their hopes for continental glory are not done and dusted as they now have Europa League football to add to their calendar, but first up will be domestic affairs as they prepare to welcome reigning champions PSG to the Stade Louis II.
Like many of Europe's sides, Les Rouges et Blancs have undergone some changes this summer, with young promising players like Geoffrey Kondogbia and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco moving to Inter and Atletico Madrid respectively. Another young player, Layvin Kurzawa, who recently made the switch to Les Parisiens will not feature due to an injury picked up during their recent clash with Valencia.
Some of the new faces that have arrived are experienced defender Fabio Coentrao, who departed Real Madrid in search of more regular playing time, and Stephan El Shaarawy, hoping to re-ignite his career after seeing it soar then stall at AC Milan.
Leonardo Jardim, who led the team to third place in his debut season, will surely be looking to put some pressure on the reigning champions, who are the only squad not just with a perfect win record but also have yet to concede a goal. Four points divide the two teams, and a win - the first for Monaco since beating them both home and away in the 2009/2010 campaign - would certainly give the ambitious side a boost of confidence in the last league game prior to the international hiatus.
However, it will not be easy. Although PSG have been held to draws in their last four league fixtures - their 2-0 win was during a Coupe de France tie - Laurent Blanc's men have flexed their financial muscle to strengthen themselves even more this summer. So far, they have managed to hang onto the reportedly disgruntled Edinson Cavani as well as the talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and brought in young rising German international Kevin Trapp to provide some competition for goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.
Most significant, after a year of waiting, they have finally gotten the man they were chasing all during the summer of 2014: Angel Di Maria. The former Real Madrid and Benfica man did not come cheap from Manchester United, costing the capital club a whopping €63 million. Yet, fans and the club will hope that the Argentinian attacker will be able to back up his hefty price tag as they seek to make some serious inroads in the Champions League this season - all whilst, of course, winning another league title.
Despite featuring in training, it is highly unlikely that he will start, but could nonetheless be given some game-time in order to become more accustomed to his teammates in a new league. In terms of personnel, Jardim will still be without the services of Joao Moutinho and Helder Costa due to ankle and foot injuries respectively. Blanc's side, who are on a five-match winning streak across all competitions, will be delighted to have Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti back in the squad, but Javier Pastore will miss out with a calf strain.
With the team enjoying their best start to the season since the 2005/2006 campaign, they will surely be gunning for their first league win over Monaco since 2007.
Key Stats for Monaco vs. PSG
- Monaco are undefeated in their last 16 home matches in Ligue 1.
- However, PSG have won their last 12 matches in Ligue 1.
- They also have kept a clean sheet in 5 of their last 7 matches in Ligue 1, with Kevin Trapp providing three of those.
- Les Parisiens are undefeated in their last 8 matches against Monaco in all competitions.
- A draw, though is certainly highly likely. In their last 12 games across all competitions, PSG's three wins have only been in cup matches.
- In terms of league play, it's Monaco who hold the winning advantage, with two wins out of the nine games played. The other seven have all ended as draws.
Will Monaco be able to break PSG's perfect record? Or will Les Parisiens finally be able to get three points against a dogged opponent?
Ligue 1 supporters will not want to miss out on what could be a hard-fought battle from kick-off to the final whistle, so make sure to check out our special Monaco vs. PSG page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for viewing options and channels for your current location.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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