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AS Monaco and Saint-Etienne get underway in the 2024-25 Ligue 1 campaign when they square off at the Stade Louis II on Saturday. Having lost the last three meetings between the sides, Olivier Dall'Oglio’s men will head into the weekend looking to get one over the hosts and mark their return to the top flight on a high.
Monaco turned in a performance of the highest quality as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Spanish giants Barcelona to clinch the Joan Gamper Trophy on Monday.
This was a much-needed victory for the French side, who had failed to win five of their previous six games in pre-season, losing three and claiming two draws.
Head coach Adolf Hutter will hope the win over Barcelona can serve as a springboard for fine early-season form as they turn their attention to Ligue 1, where they will be looking to improve on last season’s second-placed finish and dethrone Paris Saint-Germain.
Saint-Etienne, on the other hand, ended their two-year absence from the French top flight as they secured a 4-3 aggregate victory over Metz in the playoff final last season.
Olivier Dall'Oglio’s men picked up 65 points from their 38 Ligue 2 matches to finish second in the table and book a place in the playoff, where they edged out Rodez and Metz to confirm their promotion.
Saint-Etienne's first Ligue 1 challenge is against a Monaco side they have failed to get the better of in their last four encounters, losing three and claiming one draw since a 1-0 victory in January 2020.
AS Monaco vs Saint-Etienne Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- With 15 wins from the last 38 meetings between the sides, Saint-Etienne hold a slight upper hand in the history of this fixture.
- Monaco have picked up three fewer wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on 11 occasions.
- Hutter’s men are on a three-game winning streak against Saint-Etienne, scoring 11 goals and conceding twice since a 2-2 draw in December 2020.
- Saint-Etienne have won just one of their last five competitive away games while losing twice and picking up two draws since the start of April.
- Monaco have won their last four home games in the league, scoring 10 goals and keeping two clean sheets since March.
AS Monaco vs Saint-Etienne Prediction
Off the back of a stunning victory over Barcelona, Monaco will begin the new Ligue 1 campaign with sky-high confidence as they look to put together an early-season form.
Given the gulf in quality and experience between the two sides, we are backing Hutter's men to come away with the desired result this weekend.
Prediction: AS Monaco 3-1 Saint-Etienne
AS Monaco vs Saint-Etienne Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Monaco to win
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in four of the last five meetings between the two teams)
Tip 3: First to score - Monaco (The hosts have opened the scoring in four of their last five matches against Saint-Etienne)
