Ligue 1 returns to action on Friday night, when league leaders Monaco welcome Lille to the Stade Louis II.
The hosts leapfrogged champions Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Ligue 1 summit in the final game before the international break, while Lille also continued to ride the crest of a wave after an incredible win in Europe.
Match preview
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October's international break came at the worst possible time for Monaco, as it stopped them in their tracks in what has been an incredible start to the season.
Despite facing a tricky trip to Rennes, Adi Hutter's men did not cower knowing that a win would have taken them top, and they got through that test, coming out 2-1 victors.
PSG's dropped points away to Nice means Monaco went into the break with a two-point lead at the top of Ligue 1, and the 19 points they have collected after seven games is their best tally at this stage since the 1960-61 season - when they ended up as French champions.
Only on three previous occasions have Monaco started a Ligue 1 season by going seven games unbeaten, with that season in 1960-61 being the first time, and they also managed the feat in 1979-80 and 2013-14, but failed to take the title in those latter two campaigns.
That league win at Rennes came just days after Monaco dramatically clung onto their unbeaten start, needing two late goals in rainy Croatia to draw with Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
Therefore, this fixture will give the hosts the opportunity to start the campaign 10 games unbeaten, having already come through a test in beating Barcelona earlier in the season.
All the signs suggest Hutter's side will extend that record too, as they are unbeaten in their last 10 home league games - their best run in over six years - and have not suffered defeat at home to Lille in 12 previous Ligue 1 meetings at the Stade Louis II.
Lille will hope they can replicate the performance they produced in the Coupe de France back in 2019, though, coming here and winning 3-0, and their last few results will give them huge confidence in achieving that.
Bruno Genesio's side would have been forgiven for being slightly low in morale after a run of four straight defeats from late August and mid-September, and that run only came to end with a 3-3 draw at home to Strasbourg, where they need a late Jonathan David penalty to equalise.
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Since then though, Lille have been unstoppable, beating Le Havre and Toulouse in Ligue 1, moving to within just a point of the Champions League positions.
It was in the Champions League where arguably their crowning moment of the season came, as Genesio masterminded a 1-0 win over Real Madrid at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy just two weeks ago.
Lille did not let that result lead to complacency though, as they came from behind thanks to goals from Angel Gomes and Mitchel Bakker to beat Toulouse in their last outing before the break.
After David and Edon Zhegrova had scored all of LOSC's goals in their previous seven matches, Genesio would have been pleased to see the goals shared about once again.
Lille have now scored in 20 of their last 22 league games, but they will be aware of the task ahead of them, considering Monaco were one of the two sides that have shut them out in that run, when they lost 1-0 here back in April.
Team News
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Edan Diop remains sidelined for Monaco with a broken leg, and he has be joined on the treatment table by Folarin Balogun, who dislocated his shoulder in their last outing, and Mohammed Salisu, after he was forced while representing Ghana last week.
Vanderson and Takumi Minamino will have clocked up plenty of air miles travelling to and from South America and Asia respectively, while young talent Eliesse Ben Seghir was in the Morocco squad for their trip to the Central African Republic on Tuesday night.
Captain Denis Zakaria missed Switzerland's fixtures with Serbia and Denmark last week and is doubtful, but there is no problem with Thilo Kehrer, even though he was left out of the Germany side.
Lille wide man Zhegrova's excellent form continued when he was named Man of the Match in Kosovo's win against Lithuania during the break, notching his seventh goal in 13 games for club and country this season.
David's fitness will be questioned though, as he featured for Canada against Panama in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The visitors will definitely be without Benjamin Andre, who is suspended after his caution against Toulouse, while Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, Ismaily and Samuel Umtiti remain sidelined with injury.
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Singo, Mawissa Elebi, Kehrer, Henrique; Magassa, Camara; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Santos, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson, Bakker; Angel Gomes, Andre Gomes, Bouaddi; Zhegrova, David
We say: Monaco 2-1 Lille
No team has won more games in Ligue 1 in 2024 than Monaco, and they will be fancied to secure their 17th of the calendar year here, and maintain their spot at the top.
Lille also enter the game in excellent form, but will have to hope Zhegrova and David are in top condition if they are to have a chance, as both represented their countries under 72 hours earlier.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
