AS Monaco back in UCL after Ligue 1 defeat to Angers.

2024-10-30

In a landmark UEFA Champions League clash at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, winless debutants Bologna, eager to end their scoring drought, face off against AS Monaco, who are riding high in the UCL despite recent domestic struggles.

Bologna

Bologna are one of the nine teams yet to secure a win in the UEFA Champions League after three match days. Since a goalless draw with Shakhtar Donetsk on match day one, the Italian side has suffered 2-0 defeats to Liverpool and Aston Villa on match days two and three, leaving them in 29th place with just one point.

Despite their struggles in the UCL, Bologna picked up a 1-0 victory over Lecce in Serie A on Saturday. This result marked back-to-back wins for Vincenzo Italiano's squad as they prepare for Tuesday's home UCL clash against Monaco.

This will be Bologna's first encounter with a French team in the UCL and their first-ever match against Monaco. Previously, they only faced Lyon and Marseille in the 1998 UEFA Cup campaign.

The Rossoblù boast an impressive record, remaining unbeaten in all 28 of their home matches in major European competitions, with 16 wins and 12 draws. Only Ipswich Town have historically played more home games in Europe without a loss, with 30 matches.

However, Bologna have yet to score after three UCL matches, a first for them in European competitions. This is not due to lack of effort, as they have registered the most shots, a total of 41, without finding the net.

Bologna's manager, Italiano, is likely to opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Santiago Castro expected to lead the line.

Monaco

Monaco's season has taken a downturn since their impressive 5-1 victory over Crvena Zvezda on UCL Matchday 3. Since that win, the Monégasques have lost 2-1 to Nice and 1-0 to Angers in Ligue 1, breaking their unbeaten start to the season and dropping six points behind league leaders PSG.

Adi Hütter's side remains hopeful of maintaining their unbeaten start in the UCL, having secured a 2-1 victory over Barcelona on Matchday 1 and a 2-2 draw with Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 2. The French side currently sits in 4th place with seven points, two points behind Aston Villa and Liverpool, who hold the top two spots.

Monaco is enjoying a strong return to the UCL's first round since the 2018-19 season. They're among the top scorers with nine goals, matching their highest tally at this stage since the 1997-98 campaign. Despite this, they have struggled against Italian teams recently, with just three wins from 15 encounters in Europe [3W, 3D, 9L].

In matches against Italian sides, all against Juventus, Monaco has managed only one win in six games [1W, 1D, 4L]. Hütter is expected to continue with a 4—2—3—1 formation, featuring Breel Embolo in attack.