Sitting just above the relegation zone following the heavy defeat to Sochaux, Monaco have got to win this game in order to boost their survival chances. Lens closed the gap behind safety to six points as they beat Bordeaux and they can now make it three if they beat Monaco at Stade Louis II.

Must-win game for Monaco

We can now safely say that Monaco have been one of the most disappointing sides in Ligue 1 this season, when we take into account that this team are capable of fighting for the European places. After finishing last few season in mid table, Monaco were expected to make a step forward and enter the fight for Europa League place, but new coach Guy Lacombe largely struggled to get the best out of his players and was sacked midway through the season. Monaco showed some improvement under Laurent Banide, winning four out of six games in March and April before sharing spoils with Saint Etienne and Paris Saint-Germain. Last week’s defeat to Sochaux acted as a big blow to the players’ confidence, but the game against Lens is a great opportunity to return to winning ways and at the same time virtually ensure survival. Monaco have been pretty convincing at home of late and the trend looks likely to continue.

Nampalys Mendy returns to the side from suspension, while Stephane Ruffier, Vincent Muratori, Mahamadou Diarra, Frederic Bulot, Djimi Traore and Moussa Maazou are all sidelined.

Survival hopes still alive

With three more games to go, Lens sit six points adrift of safety and while they are highly unlikely to escape relegation, les Sang et Or do have a chance to save this season. The lucky win over Bordeaux, which ended the six-match winless run, saw Lens remain in contention for survival and if they manage to beat Monaco, Nancy and Arles, Laszlo Boloni’s side might just survive. However, such a scenario looks like a mission impossible since Lens only managed to record back to back victories once this season, while they weren’t even close to making it three in a row. Having won just one out of last nineteen away games, les Sang et Or could find it tough against very motivated Monaco, especially as not even the players believe they can avoid the drop.

Lens will have Sebastien Roudet back from suspension, while Hamdi Kasraoui should continue to deputize for first choice keeper Vedran Runje.

Verdict

Monaco have shown a lot of improvement lately and they have a great chance to boost their survival chances with a win over Lens. Les Sang et Or were very lucky to bear Bordeaux last weekend, but they simply don’t have the quality to match Monaco at Stade Louis II.

Our prediction: Home win

Odds: 1.83 (5/6)

Bookmaker: 888Sport