As Monaco vs Le Havre Prediction: Monaco to win comfortably

AS Monaco welcome Le Havre to the Stade Louis II in the next round of Ligue 1 action on September 22, 2024. Both teams will be eager to establish themselves in the league, with Monaco keen to keep their title hopes alive and Le Havre seeking a surge toward the top half of the table. This game means everything, with Monaco in good form-blending domestic and European success-while Le Havre tries to get back into rhythm after its mixed start to the season. With Monaco currently 3rd in the table and Le Havre in 11th, this game truly can reveal the contrast in ambition and quality between these two sides.

Monaco come into the match on the back of an impressive 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. That result should give them a much-needed boost in terms of confidence, considering they have been alternating between both Ligue 1 and European football with much ease. Monaco come into this game with a domestic form of WWDW, where they have generally looked tactically astute and physically sharp, especially in high-pressure scenarios. Monaco lie 3rd in the Ligue 1 table with 10 points and will have in their sights a win that would keep them up with the top sides; they have the added advantage of being at home, where their record is normally good.

Monaco, under their present regime, have relied quite a bit on possession-based play where quick transitions with solid forms of defensive structure have also been observed. The ability to dominate possession is complemented by the use of flanks that create width to stretch the opposition. Defensively, Monaco have been solid, especially at home, and adept at defending deep before relying on rapid counter-attacks. Monaco will be made to be patient, breaking down the opposition with sustained pressure against a team like Le Havre, who might want to lie deep and try to absorb the pressure.

The Monaco midfield is going to be very important for control of the game, circulating the ball well between defense and attack, making sure their front line is well-serviced with through balls and crosses into the box. Expect Monaco to be equally aggressive without possession, with hard presses high up the pitch to win the ball and immediately launch an attack. Considering how Monaco defeated Barcelona, confidence would be brimming in the Monaco camp, and their superior quality in attack would more likely give trouble to Le Havre's defense.

On the other hand, Le Havre have been less consistent. Going into this match, they were coming from an awful 2-0 loss away to Toulouse, which drops them to a form of LWWL. Their inconsistency is reflected in the table position of 11th place with 6 points. While the team has shown flashes of quality, especially in their two recent wins, their tendency to falter away from home-as seen in the loss to Toulouse-is still an issue. However, Le Havre will try to take advantage of Monaco's complacency to be more competitive, especially knowing their away record has been a weak spot so far this season.

Middlesided Le Havre have failed to find a consistent style of play this season, especially away from home. Here, they are likely to be more defensive-minded, merely looking to sit deep and hoping to frustrate Monaco by congesting the space. Le Havre have proved they can be compact in the back, which will be their chief form of defense against a dominant Monaco side. This would indeed be their strategy, soaking up pressure and hitting Monaco on the break with direct long balls or using the pace of their forward line to take advantage of any defensive gaps that Monaco's attack-minded approach may leave open.

The main focus of Le Havre will be keeping in good shape, not allowing Monaco to take advantage of wide areas, and trying to keep Monaco's midfield makers-of-play very quiet. They know that Monaco really rely on controlling the center of the pitch. Defensively, Le Havre need to be disciplined by ensuring a compact backline limits the amount of space available between the lines for Monaco attackers.

Historically, AS Monaco have always had bragging rights in this fixture, enjoying a powerful record with 9 wins and Le Havre managing a paltry 2 wins, while there have been 5 draws between the two sides. This huge advantage for Monaco simply reflects their dominance over Le Havre in recent times.

This is certainly the case in Monaco's home matches, where the team has consistently managed to come out on top against Le Havre. The very few wins of Le Havre over Monaco happen when certain conditions present themselves-for example, when Monaco play a rotated squad or when Le Havre take advantage of some slack defending. In the larger scheme of things, though, Monaco's quality and depth have generally been a bit too much for Le Havre to handle, particularly of late when Monaco have been competing at a level far higher than what they face in Ligue 1 and in Europe.

Therefore, with this head-to-head history, Monaco will be confident going into this match, knowing they have a slight psychological advantage over their opponents. Le Havre, on the other hand, will be aware of their underdog tag but may take encouragement from the fact that they have managed a few competitive draws against Monaco. Nonetheless, the overwhelming trend in this instance would indicate that Monaco would win once again.

Both form and quality have Monaco enter this game as clear favorites. The inconsistency of Le Havre all over, but especially away from home, will not do too well for them to suggest they might have a hard day at the Stade Louis-II. In what promises to be a defensive-minded showing from Le Havre, who might seek to counter, Monaco will surely have ample opportunities to seek control and chances to record a comfortable win. With Monaco's European momentum also in their favor, expect the home side to seal all three points to carry on their title push.

• Home Win & Over 1.5 Goals @ 1.6 Odds
• Home Win & Under 4.5 Goals @ 1.69 Odds
• Correct Score 2-0 @ 7.00 Odds