Monaco keen to extend season-long unbeaten run with Montpellier's visit.

Monaco will aim to maintain their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season when they host Montpellier this weekend. Monaco vs. Montpellier kicks off at 20:00 [GMT+1] on Saturday, September 28 at Stade Louis II.

Currently tied on 13 points with Marseille and PSG, Monaco sits third in the table after five games. Their recent 3-1 win against Le Havre, where Jordan Teze [9'] opened the scoring before Ben Seghir [66'] and Folarin Balogun [70'] netted second-half goals, extended their strong start to the season. Monaco’s tally of 13 points is their best after five games since their title-winning campaign in 2016-17. Monaco’s recent record against Montpellier is also encouraging. However, the last time Monaco recorded three consecutive clean sheet wins against Montpellier was between November 1996 and October 1998, when they won four. As Monaco looks to extend their fine form, their current home record is a major advantage. They have won six of their last seven home games in Ligue 1 [6W, 1D, 0L], a stark contrast to their previous six home matches in which they failed to win any [0W, 3D, 3L]. Manager Adi Hütter is likely to stick with a 4—4—2 formation for this match, with George Ilenikhena partnering Folarin Balogun up front. Monaco will, however, miss Edan Diop, who is sidelined with a foot injury.

On the other hand, Montpellier will be looking to build on their maiden win of the season after a difficult start. A brace from Akor Adams [65', 75'] in their 2-0 victory over Auxerre gave Montpellier a much-needed maiden victory, halting a run of three consecutive defeats that had left them languishing at the bottom of the table. Now 15th with four points, manager Michel Der Zakarian will be hoping his side can carry that momentum into this weekend’s fixture against Monaco. Defensive frailties have been a major issue for Montpellier this season, as they have conceded 15 goals in their first five games, their worst defensive start in Ligue 1 at this stage since 1998-99, when they conceded 11 goals. Their away form also leaves much to ponder on, having failed to win any of their last three Ligue 1 away games [0W, 1D, 2L], a huge dip in form on the road when compared to their previous run of four wins in five [4W, 1D, 0L]. However, Der Zakarian will look to the past for inspiration, as he was in charge when Montpellier secured a stunning 4-0 win at Monaco in April 2023. Fresh off his brace against Auxerre, Adams is expected to start in attack in a 4—2—3—1 formation. Issiaga Sylla is ruled out due to a thigh injury, and Théo Sainte-Luce is also sidelined.