Title hopefuls Monaco target perfect Ligue 1 start in Lille clash

Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco kicked off their Ligue 1 campaign successfully with a 2-1 away triumph over Nice, but will want to make a bright start in their first clash at the Stade Louis II as they welcome Lille to their home patch.

The hosts have a dominant record over their next domestic opponents on home soil, with Lille having failed to secure victory at the daunting venue since 2009, making Monaco massive odds-on 4/7 favourites with Coral and 7/2 to win both halves.

Herve Renard’s travelling side were narrowly toppled 1-0 in their season opener against reigning champions PSG, and the visitors, who finished in eighth last term, are 5/1 to cause an upset on the road.

For Monaco, the immediate aim is to make a much brighter start to the new campaign than they did in the previous season. Twelve months ago the club stutteringly collected just four points from a possible 15 in their opening games, shocking early form which ultimately derailed any title ambitions.

In order to properly challenge Laurent Blanc’s dominant capital club this season, Jardim knows his men must continue to improve and avoid any early set-backs, beginning with their Lille liaison on home turf.

The superiority shown by Monaco at the Stade Louis II last season is a great platform on which to build upon for this term, having only tasted defeat in front of their own fans just twice, but were also held to nine draws.

Another stalemate this time out can be had at 11/4, though the hosts possess plenty of attacking threat capable of repeating their heroics last season when they overcame their counterparts at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.