After a frustrating Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League that saw both Paris Saint-Germain and Brest Stadium lose their Matchday Five encounters, LOSC Lille and AS Monaco will look to save the blushes of Ligue 1 McDonald’s tomorrow as they take on Bologna and Benfica respectively. Both have been in strong form domestically and will be eager to build on results in France — read on as we preview their matches…
Youth is Monaco’s strength
AS Monaco have had the odd defeat or poor result, but have largely been consistent, despite players who starred for the club last season stumbling somewhat in the current campaign. With veterans Breel Embolo, Alexander Golovin and Takumi Minamino all a step or two below their level of previous seasons, it has been the province of the team’s younger players to step into that void.
The Principality side has always taken pride in its academy, having produced world-class talent such as Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappé, and right now a new generation is taking up that mantle. In attack, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Maghnes Akliouche have gone from strength to strength, scoring crucial goals and becoming an integral part of the team’s attack. Ben Seghir, a Morocco international with nearly a dozen caps despite being just 19, is the team’s leading scorer in the league, while Akliouche, a France U-21 international, has four goals and as many assists in all competitions. Together with fellow academy products goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki and midfielder Soungoutou Tallthey’ve helped Adi Hütter navigate a challenging fixture list and injuries while staying near the top of the table in both competitions in which they’re involved.
They’ll host a Benfica side who have struggled somewhat domestically, trailing bitter rivals Sporting and Porto, but have showed their mettle in Europe, notably in a 4-0 humbling of Atlético Madrid. With Angel Di Maria rolling back the years of late and his fellow Argentine international Nicolas Otamendi a stalwart in defence, The Eagles have plenty of experience and aren’t to be taken lightly.
David, Zhegrova continue to impress
As for Lille, they have their own dynamic duo in the form of Jonathan David and Edon Zhegrova as they take on Italian upstarts Bologna. The Serie A side overachieved last year under Thiago Mottabut departures and injuries have undermined their current campaign. While they’re comfortable mid-table in Italy, Europe hasn’t been as kind to I Rossoblu — they’re yet to win or even score a goal in the competition, with a 1-0 loss to Monaco among their losses.
Bruno Génésio‘s side have had no such issues, however. Despite an incredibly challenging fixture list, they’ve racked up wins over Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, as well as a draw against another Serie A side, Juventusand are well-positioned to reach the knockout stages. David has 15 goals in all competitions this season, while the tricky Zhegrova adds a level of skill and unpredictability and has himself found the net eight times for The Mastiffs. While injuries have limited the team elsewhere, Génésio’s development of young midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has been impressive indeed, and with canny veterans like Benjamin Andrew and Remy Cabella in the fold, the team’s mix of youth and experience should hold them in good stead as they travel across the Alps.
Read more:
>> Gabriel Gudmunsson, Lille’s “Swedish Army Knife”
>> Benfica and Ligue 1: A History
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