Newly promoted Auxerre take on AS Monaco in weekend clash.
Saturday's clash at Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps sees newly promoted Auxerre face their biggest test yet as they host high-flying AS Monaco, who look to extend their dominant record against debutants.
Auxerre
Newly promoted Auxerre kicked off their season with a win over OGC Nice. However, their promising start has been overshadowed by back-to-back defeats. A 2-0 defeat away at Nantes on Match Day 2 was followed by a 3-1 defeat away at Le Havre just before the break.
AJA had a man sent off in both defeats, raising disciplinary concerns for manager Christophe Pélissier. Ado Onaiwu was the culprit against Nantes, while Ki-Jana Hoever was dismissed last time out at the stroke of halftime.
Auxerre are 13th on the table, having picked up three points after three matches (1W, 0D, 2L). They will be back on home soil since matchday 1 when they take on Monaco on Saturday, in what will be their biggest test yet.
Defeat here will see AJA equal their longest losing streak under Pélissier across all competitions (3). Meanwhile, a gloomy atmosphere precedes Saturday’s clash, considering the home side's recent league results against the visitors. The hosts have lost their last two Ligue 1 meetings against Monaco, both coming in the 2022–23 season.
Auxerre have only had a longer losing streak against Les Monégasques in the topflight between November 1998 and March 2000, when they lost four straight encounters against them. A 4-2-3-1 formation with Thelonius Bair in attack may be seen against Monaco. Meanwhile, Hoever is suspended for this clash.
Monaco
Monaco dropped points for the first time this season after settling for a 1-1 draw in a dramatic fixture against Lens. Denis Zakaria scored with six minutes left in normal time, a goal thought to have secured all three points for the Monégasques. However, a controversial penalty was converted in stoppage time by Przemyslaw Frankowski to ensure the points were shared.
Despite the ill-fated draw, Monaco's manager Adi Hütter called it ‘a logical draw’, adding that his team's performance was ‘not accomplished enough.’ Les Monégasques are now in fourth place with seven points (2W, 1D, & 0L), just two points behind table-topping PSG.
Hütter will hope his team can maintain their fine form against newly promoted sides when they travel to face Auxerre. Monaco have only lost one of their last 18 L1 games against such sides (13W, 4D, & 1L), a 2-1 home defeat against Toulouse in June 2023.
A 4-2-3-1 formation with Folarin Balogun in attack is expected against the newcomers. Balogun, who provided an assist for the USA in their 1-1 draw with New Zealand on Wednesday, will be looking to open his account in L1 this season.
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