Lens take on Monaco at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on the final day of the French Ligue 1 season with both teams requiring big victories to achieve a top five finish and the league title respectively.
Lens currently occupy 6th place and although they’re three points adrift of Marseille, the bigger problem is that they have an inferior goal difference of -6 goals prior to playing host to 3rd placed Monaco.
We are 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺. 🤝 We 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘. We 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗞. We 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗧.We are 𝗔𝗦 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗼 🇲🇨#RiseRiskRepeat pic.twitter.com/Te27RPFOpZ— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) May 11, 2021
We are 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺. 🤝 We 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘. We 𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗞. We 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗧.We are 𝗔𝗦 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗼 🇲🇨#RiseRiskRepeat pic.twitter.com/Te27RPFOpZ
So it looks unlikely that the hosts will be in one of the European spots for next season.
Nevertheless, it’s been a solid campaign for Lens overall in this season’s Ligue 1 campaign despite losing their last three matches on the trot, having suffered defeats against PSG, Lille and Bordeaux, and this upcoming clash against Monaco won’t be easy either.
However, Lens had previously put together a promising run of 13 matches without defeat in the French top flight.
While at home, Lens have lost just one of their last eight matches at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis and they’re expected to put up stubborn resistance this Sunday as well.
Lens are expected to be missing defender Haidara with a calf injury for this encounter.
Monaco need to grab all three points in this Sunday’s trip to Lens and win by a significant margin if they’re to win the Ligue 1 title, and that’s only if both Lille and PSG lose as well, so they too look unlikely to achieve their ambition here.
Nonetheless, it’s been a successful campaign for 3rd placed Monaco who still hold the more realistic ambitions of achieving a top two finish as they only trail 2nd placed PSG by a two-point margin.
And having won seven of their last eight matches overall, will be in confident mood here.
After a shaky start to the new Ligue 1 campaign which saw Monaco lose five of their opening seven matches on their travels, the municipality club have since responded in impressive fashion by winning 10 of their subsequent 11 games on the road.
Seven of these 11 away games have also seen Monaco score 2 goals or more and this could spell trouble for Lens, especially as Monaco have also won five of the previous six meetings against their hosts.
That said, Lens won the last encounter 3-0 away so Monaco will be keen to avenge that defeat on Sunday but the visitors may not get it all their own way here.