Prediction: PSG vs Monaco

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 4/9

Bookmaker: Betfair

Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco will face each other for the third time in six weeks at the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1 on Friday night.

Monaco’s loss on matchday eight of the Champions League means they will join PSG in the upcoming playoffs, which begin next week. As a result, this fixture has been rescheduled to give both teams maximum preparation time for their respective ties.

Paris Saint-Germain

PSG continue their dominant march toward the Ligue 1 title, having thrashed upcoming Champions League opponents Brest 5-2 away last weekend, reaching 50 points for the season. This feat has only been achieved six times in Ligue 1 history, four by PSG and once by Lyon in 2006-07, with all those teams going on to win the title.

The victory over Brest kept PSG unbeaten domestically this season, maintaining a 10-point lead over Marseille at the top. Their prolific attacking form has been key, having scored in 38 of the 40 home games under Luis Enrique.

Winning 12 of their last 13 matches and netting 36 goals, including a 2-0 Coupe de France win over Le Mans on Tuesday, PSG have been unstoppable.

They now face familiar rivals Monaco, who they recently defeated in the league before Christmas and in the Trophee des Champions in January. PSG have played Monaco more often than any other club (113 times), dominating recent encounters by scoring 27 goals across their last nine home meetings and losing just twice at the Parc des Princes since the Qatari takeover.

Monaco’s struggles against other top-five sides this season have hindered their pursuit of automatic Champions League qualification.

Team News

Monaco’s defense, particularly their full-backs, will need to be at their best to contain Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele, who are both in sensational form.

Dembele has scored consecutive hat tricks, netting 14 goals in his last eight appearances, while Barcola has contributed 10 goal involvements over his past seven games, including the decisive goal against Le Mans in midweek.

PSG, however, are dealing with some squad concerns. Following the loan departures of Marco Asensio, Milan Skriniar, and Randal Kolo Muani late in the transfer window, they now face injury doubts, particularly in midfield, with Joao Neves and Warren Zaire-Emery uncertain to feature.

AS Monaco

Adi Hutter’s side has struggled against top teams this season, managing just a single point from four encounters — a draw with Lille — while losing to Nice, Marseille, and PSG despite leading in all three matches.

Their away form is also troubling, as Monaco are on their longest winless run on the road in over five years, failing to win any of their last four away games.

A 3-0 loss at Inter Milan last week, exacerbated by an early red card, saw them miss out on a Champions League top-eight finish, adding two playoff matches against Benfica this month. However, that San Siro defeat is their only loss in four matches.

Monaco responded well by coming from behind to beat Auxerre 4-2 last weekend, with new signing Mika Biereth netting a hat trick to keep them in the top three.

The race for Champions League spots remains tight, with Monaco in third, three points behind Marseille, one ahead of Lille, and three clear of Nice heading into the weekend.

Team News

Mika Biereth’s hat trick last weekend has secured his spot as Monaco’s starting striker, ahead of Breel Embolo, with Folarin Balogun and George Ilenikhena sidelined by injuries.

Aleksandr Golovin was forced off at halftime during the win over Auxerre and is believed to be nursing a minor injury. Meanwhile, hamstring issues continue to keep defensive duo Jordan Teze and Wilfried Singo out of action.

Singo’s absence means there will be no rematch with Gianluigi Donnarumma, following their controversial encounter in the reverse fixture, where Singo’s accidental rake of studs across Donnarumma’s face left the PSG keeper requiring numerous stitches.

Conclusion

This PSG side is vastly different from the one that struggled for consistency earlier in the season. With two wins over Monaco in the past six weeks, they will be confident of extending their unbeaten league run here.

However, Monaco remains a formidable opponent, being the only club to have defeated PSG more than 40 times (48). They have also found the net in 12 of their last 13 visits to the Parc des Princes, ensuring they will pose a serious challenge, even if they ultimately come up short.

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 4/9

Bookmaker: Betfair