French heavyweights Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain meet in the principality for the final Ligue 1 game of 2024 on Wednesday.
This fixture has been moved forward two weeks because the two will compete in the French Super Cup in Qatar during matchday 16 at the start of January.
Match preview
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A good week got even better for PSG manager Luis Enrique when they beat Lyon 3-1 at the Parc des Princes on Sunday, condemning Les Gones to just a second defeat in 15 games.
The win was made even more satisfactory due to the fact that the entire rest of the top eight all failed to win at the weekend, allowing PSG to move further clear at the top.
Playing their 16th league match two weeks before the rest will also hand them the opportunity to finish 2024 10 points clear at the top of Ligue 1, where they remain unbeaten this season.
PSG will be favourites too considering they are still 31 games unbeaten on the road in Ligue 1, with their last defeat coming here at the Stade Louis II in the 2022-23 season.
Fortunes have not been quite as good in the Champions League for Enrique, but he saw his side pick up a crucial win away to Red Bull Salzburg last midweek, coming out 3-0 victors in Austria.
One more win will see PSG edge through to the knockout round, but with Manchester City and Stuttgart to come in their final two, that is no certainty.
Enrique also has a tricky week ahead of him, with this trip to Monaco coming just a few days before they will go to Lens in the pick of the fixtures in the fifth round of the Coupe de France.
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Monaco have proven difficult opponents for most teams in France and on the continent this season, with just one defeat in 14 home games, and they have enjoyed their clashes with PSG here of late.
A 0-0 draw in March came after three successive Monaco wins at the Stade Louis II over PSG - scoring nine goals in the process.
It has not been the best week for Adi Hutter's men though, going down 3-0 at Arsenal in the Champions League, and failing to capitalise on teams around them dropping points at the weekend.
Playing in the late slot on Saturday, Monaco had already seen Marseille and Lille draw with each other earlier that day, but they had to settle for a goalless draw at Reims.
That means it is as you were in the top four, with Monaco still level on points with OM and three points ahead of Lille, but they did extend the gap to Lyon to five points after they lost at PSG.
Team News
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Just as Vanderson will return for Monaco at right-back following suspension, Jordan Teze will now miss the fixture for also amassing too many cautions.
Folarin Balogun suffered a recurrence of his shoulder injury in the last week or so and is unlikely to feature, but Breel Embolo was also dropped from the XI at the weekend, with Hutter changing to a five-at-the-back system.
That handed a rare start to Kassoum Ouattara at wing-back, but after failing to break Reims down, the manager may revert back to the more familiar 4-2-3-1 that has served them well this season.
All eyes will be on PSG's Desire Doue after another excellent performance from him against Lyon, being handed a rare start, setting up the first goal and then winning the penalty for the second.
Marquinhos was dropped for Lucas Beraldo, possibly with this game in mind, but Randal Kolo Muani was left out of the squad entirely, and is set to move on in January.
Lucas Hernandez and Senny Mayulu both returned in the last week from recent setbacks, meaning there are no injury concerns for the visitors, with Presnel Kimpembe's continued absence being a choice from Enrique.
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Majecki; Vanderson, Kehrer, Singo, Caio Henrique; Magassa, Camara; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Lee, Dembele, Doue
We say: Monaco 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
With Monaco having the chance to close the gap on PSG to four points, this is a blockbuster fixture to finish 2024 in Ligue 1.
It could be a cagey clash though, like the meeting here back in March, with PSG seeking to seal an entire calendar year unbeaten away from home in the league.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
