Saturday afternoon features the clash between Monaco and Lens in the French Ligue 1 at the Stade Louis II with Monaco keen to pick up their first win of this new domestic top flight season.
The hosts have made a slow start to the new campaign as they’ve managed to collect just one point from their opening two games of the new season, thanks to an opening day 1-1 draw at home with Nantes.
𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙨 🤩Au son de vos voix qui se sont élevées, le stade Bollaert-Delelis a explosé 🔥#UnBonheurDeVousRetrouver ❤️💛#SiFierDEtreLensois #RCLASSE pic.twitter.com/74zinFLSP3— Racing Club de Lens (@RCLens) August 16, 2021
𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙨 🤩Au son de vos voix qui se sont élevées, le stade Bollaert-Delelis a explosé 🔥#UnBonheurDeVousRetrouver ❤️💛#SiFierDEtreLensois #RCLASSE pic.twitter.com/74zinFLSP3
However, last weekend saw Monaco slip to a disappointing 1-0 defeat away from home at Lorient and together with their final day of last season’s 0-0 draw away at Lens, it’s now been three matches without a win for Monaco.
Monaco have been tough to beat though overall in Ligue 1 as the hosts have lost just two of their last 12 matches which also includes eight clean sheets and this solid defensive unit at least gives Monaco a decent platform from which to stage their offensive.
Lens drew their second game on the trot this season last weekend when they shared the points with a 2-2 draw at home with Saint-Etienne, making it three draws on the trot for Saturday’s visitors.
Previously, Lens had been involved in stalemates with Monaco and Rennes while before these three draws, Lens had also suffered three defeats on the trot in their preceding matches, losing to PSG, Lille and Bordeaux.
From mid-January of last season through to mid-April, Lens had put together a solid and stubborn looking eight-match unbeaten run in Ligue 1 which included victories over Marseille, Montpellier, Saint-Etienne and Strasbourg but the visitors have failed to win any of their last four matches away from home.
The bigger picture shows that Lens have won just four of their last 13 matches on the road in the French top flight and been involved in five draws within this period too, but the visitors may just be able to hold their own against an indifferent looking Monaco side early on in the proceedings of this new campaign.
Incidentally, nine of Lens’s last 13 away matches have also seen both teams score, so this upcoming fixture could feature goals too.
That said, the previous encounter finished in a 0-0 stalemate back in May so perhaps these two teams are heading for another draw this Saturday afternoon.