Arsenal vs Monaco preview

February 24, 2015
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Arsenal vs MonacoDespite finishing second in their Champions League group Arsenal were handed a favourable tie in the first knockout stage, but they still need to justify the favourites’ tag.

Meanwhile, Monaco restored some of the lost confidence with two wins on domestic stage, but serious selection problems could damage their chances of avoiding defeat at the Emirates.

This has been another eventful season for Arsenal, but the Gunners have shown a great deal of improvement in the past couple of months.

Five wins in last six league matches saw the Gunners climb to third in the Premier League standings, while they also qualified for the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, club’s Champions League campaign have progressed well, although Arsenal were pretty fortunate to avoid all the big guns and face Monaco in the last 16 stage.

The Gunners go into the first leg in great spirits having won last three games in all competitions, and they are 1.53 (8/15) to extend the winning run.

Arsene Wenger does not have too many injury problems at the moment, although Aaron Ramsey is definitely out and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is doubtful.

Hector Bellerin could be recalled to the starting line-up, but Jack Wilshere will again have to settle for a place on the bench.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Ospina – Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal – Cazorla, Coquelin, Ozil – Sanchez, Giroud, Welbeck.

Monaco did profit from the arrival of wealthy owners, but the club have since seriously cut their costs and allowed several star players to leave.

As a result, the Principality Club have been unable to mount another serious title challenge in Ligue 1, but they did much better than expected in Europe’s elite competition.

Monaco surprised everyone by topping the group that also contained Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit and Benfica, and deservedly find themselves in the knockout stages.

And while the French giants should not be written off ahead of the Arsenal clash, odds of 3.75 (11/4) offered on Monaco to qualify are enough to suggest they face a difficult task.

Coach Leonardo Jardim faces serious selection problems at the moment given that Jeremy Toulalan is banned and Ricardo Carvalho, Andrea Raggi, Lacina Traore and Tiemoue Bakayoko are out injured.

Laywin Kurzawa and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco have made the squad despite suffering injuries at the weekend, but they remain doubtful.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Subasic – Fabinho, Wallace, Abdennour, Kurzawa – Bernardo Silva, Kondogbia, Moutinho – Dirar, Berbatov, Ferreira Carrasco.

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