Bidding to move above Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue 1 table - for a couple of hours at least - Monaco head to the Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps on Saturday for a date with Auxerre.

Adi Hutter's men failed to make it three wins from three just before the international break, while their hosts were condemned to a second straight loss in the top flight two weekends ago.

Match preview

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Monaco's charges could be forgiven for having one eye elsewhere this weekend, as their trip to Auxerre comes just five days before a mouthwatering Champions League opener against Barcelona, who visit the Stade Louis II on September 19.

However, Hutter's men have some domestic wrongs to right before the midweek matchup, as Les Monegasques were ostensibly home and hosed against Lens on September 1 thanks to Denis Zakaria's 84th-minute header, but Przemyslaw Frankowski rescued a point for Les Sang et Or from the spot in added time.

Had Zakaria not gone from hero to zero by handballing inside the box, Monaco would have been jostling for top spot with Paris Saint-Germain on nine points right now; instead, Hutter's men are in fourth position with seven to their name.

Frankowski's last-gasp spot kick two weekends ago snapped a five-game winning sequence for Monaco in the top flight, as well as their four-match streak of successive clean sheets, but optimism of a quick return to winning ways should be rife within the visitors' squad.

Indeed, Les Monegasques have come out on the winning side in seven of their last eight Ligue 1 away matches, while they have scored at least twice in 11 of their last 12 top-flight showdowns on the road, including each of their last five.

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The Ligue 1 goal-of-the-week adjudicators would have be hard-pressed to find a better goal than Gaetan Perrin's opener for Auxerre against Le Havre on September 1, as the 28-year-old lined up a free kick from a tight angle and incredibly managed to find the far side of the net with the help of the crossbar.

However, Perrin's stunning set-piece was not a sign of things to come for Christophe Pelissier's charges, as Elisha Owusu scored an unfortunate own goal before Rassoul Ndiaye and Abdoulaye Toure completed the Le Havre comeback in a 3-1 home victory.

Picking up from where they left off in their promotion-winning Ligue 2 campaign by sinking Nice on the first weekend, Auxerre have now been subjected to successive away beatings at the hands of Nantes and Le Havre to lie 13th in the table, although they would no doubt accept that ranking come the end of the season.

While Monaco have become renowned for their goalscoring exploits on the road, Saturday's hosts have netted at least two goals in each of their last six home contests - winning all of them - and not since October have Auxerre been defeated in a league match at the Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps.

Saturday's competitors coincidentally played out two high-scoring affairs in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season, both of which were won by Monaco via a 3-2 scoreline, and not since 2009 have Les Monegasques been put to the sword by their hosts.

Team News

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Monaco did not come out of their draw with Lens unscathed on the physical front, as teenage defender Christian Mawissa was substituted in the 82nd minute with an unspecified problem, the severity of which is not clear either.

Mohammed Salisu and Thilo Kehrer are both waiting to step in for their stricken teammate if needs be, while Edan Diop (foot) and Radoslaw Majecki (ankle) are not expected back from their injuries for another couple of weeks.

Long-serving left-back Caio Henrique may have played his way back into the first XI after his corner was nodded in by Zakaria last time out, while the scoreless Folarin Balogun has a fight on his hands to keep Breel Embolo at bay.

As for Auxerre, their efforts against Le Havre were not helped by a first-half red card to right-back Ki-Jana Hoever for two bookable offences, and the 22-year-old must serve a one-game suspension in Saturday's match.

However, as one player sits on the naughty step, another returns from it, as striker Ado Onaiwu served his own one-match ban in the loss to Le Havre and now offers an alternative option up front.

Lasso Coulibaly (ACL), Gideon Mensah (unspecified), Ousoumane Camara (groin) and Ange Loic N'Gatta (unspecified) are all out of contention for the hosts, but the latter three may all return before the end of the month.

Auxerre possible starting lineup:
Leon; Joly, Osho, Jubal, Akpa; Raveloson, Owusu; Perrin, Traore, Sinayoko; Bair

Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Vanderson, Singo, Kehrer, Henrique; Magassa, Zakaria; Minamino, Akliouche, Ben Seghir; Embolo

We say: Auxerre 1-3 Monaco

Auxerre love a goal-laden performance at home, Monaco are the masters of making nets ripple on the road, and the last two Ligue 1 clashes between the two clubs have produced a staggering 10 goals.

Final third action should not be in short supply on Saturday either, but Hutter's men should not run into too many obstacles en route to victory.


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