Monaco
Barcelona
Barcelona have won every game they've played this season and are looking tough to stop. They've lost only three of their last ten games in the Champions League while Monaco have won only two of their last ten in this competition.
We do expect both teams to score in this one with Barcelona having seen both sides find the back of the net in four of their last five games this season, but an away win feels like the most likely outcome here. Monaco 1-3 Barcelona.
This Thursday's clash between AS Monaco and Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League offers up a clash between two clubs aiming to re-establish themselves as top contenders in European football.
Monaco head into this fixture sitting 3rd in Ligue 1, having amassed 10 points from their opening four matches. The club has made a strong start under the guidance of Adi Hütter, and there are growing expectations that this could be the season they return to European prominence. Monaco's domestic form, highlighted by their energetic and aggressive style, has given fans reason to be optimistic, but their struggles in Europe over recent years will loom large as they prepare to face one of the continent's most illustrious clubs.
It has been a long time since Monaco’s famous run to the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2016-17 season - a campaign featuring a young Killian Mbappé at the helm. Since then, their European campaigns have been marred by inconsistency and early exits, leaving their supporters frustrated. For a club with Monaco’s recent stature in French football, competing regularly at the highest level in Europe is an expectation, not a bonus. Their best-ever result in the competition came in the 2004-05 season, where they finished runners-up to José Mourinho’s Porto, but they have rarely come close to such heights in recent years.
This season, however, there is a sense that Monaco may finally be able to turn the tide. The team has developed a good balance between youthful exuberance and experienced leadership, with several players showing excellent form early in the season. Denis Zakaria, the Swiss midfielder who joined the club in 2023, has added steel and energy to their midfield, with his ability to break up play, launch attacks and chip in with the odd goal proving pivotal in their early domestic success. Alongside him, 20-year-old Lamine Kamara has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in Ligue 1, with the Senegalese midfielder having impressed with his versatility and maturity.
Adi Hütter, a manager known for his attacking philosophy, has brought a fresh perspective to Monaco, and his side will need to be at their very best to stand a chance against Barcelona. The Austrian coach has injected intensity into Monaco’s play, and this could be a decisive factor as they look to press and disrupt Barcelona’s fluid attacking style.
While Monaco have been rebuilding, Barcelona are undergoing something of a renaissance under their new manager Hansi Flick. Barcelona sit top of La Liga with a perfect record after five games, having scored 17 goals and conceded just four. After years of underachievement, during which the club has struggled to live up to the high standards set during the peak of Lionel Messi’s reign, there is renewed optimism at the Camp Nou. While it's still early days, Flick’s arrival in the summer has already had a profound impact, with the German breathing new live into Barça's approach, making them a more free-flowing and flexible attacking side.
Barcelona’s decline in Europe has been well documented. The club hasn’t progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of the Champions League since 2018-19 and hasn’t reached the final since their triumph in 2014-15, when they lifted the trophy after beating Juventus - an unacceptable drought for a club with Barcelona’s proud history and vast resources. However, there is a palpable sense that things could be different this year as Flick, who guided Bayern Munich to Champions League glory in 2020, has brought renewed belief to the squad, and the team’s early performances have only strengthened that sentiment.
A key factor in Barcelona’s resurgence has been the form of their young stars such as Lamine Yamal, who burst onto the scene last season and continued his rapid ascent, cementing himself as one of the brightest talents in world football. The 17-year-old winger has started the season with three goals and four assists in La Liga, and his dazzling dribbling, creativity and inventive fearlessness have made him a nightmare for opposing defenders.
Another player whose form has been crucial to Barcelona’s success is Pedri. After a difficult period with injuries, the midfielder has rediscovered his best form in the early weeks of this season. The Spaniard's intelligence on the ball, vision, and ability to dictate the tempo of the game make him a vital cog in Flick’s system. His ability to link up play between midfield and attack will be central to Barcelona’s strategy against Monaco, particularly given the physicality and energy of Monaco’s midfield.
Flick’s tactical acumen has also allowed Barcelona to become a more balanced side defensively. Despite their attacking prowess, the Catalan giants have conceded just four goals in five league matches, showing a newfound solidity at the back. The combination of pressing high up the pitch and maintaining defensive organisation has been key to their early-season success, and they will be aiming to carry that form into Europe, where they are eager to reassert themselves as a dominant force.
The game will be shown live on TNT Sports 2.
Monaco Team News:
Monaco will once again be without Edan Diop and Radoslaw Majecki, who both continue their return from injuries.
Adi Hütter could stick with the same side that started the game at the weekend given the commanding nature of the performance.
Predicted lineup: Kohn; Vanderson, Salisu, Kehrer, Henrique; Kamara, Zakaria; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo
Barcelona Team News:
The visitors still have a pretty lengthy injury list with Ronald Araújo, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong, Marc Bernal, Ansu Fati and Gavi all still one the sidelines. The latter, however, is very close to a return following nearly a year out with a serious knee injury.
It's unlikely that we'll see any changes to the side that started the game against Girona at the weekend.
Predicted lineup: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Cubarsí, Martínez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Monaco are coming into this game fresh off the back of a resounding 3-0 win over Auxerre. Monaco took the lead after just eight minutes through Thilo Keherer before Vanderson doubled the lead midway through the second half. Monaco continued to cruise in the second 45, with Denis Zakaria bagging his second of the campaign in the final minute of normal time to seal a convincing victory.
Preceding that game was a 1-1 draw with Lens, a 2-0 win away at Lyon and a 1-0 win over Saint-Ettienne.
Barcelona's latest outing saw them claim a fine 4-1 win away at fellow Catalan side Girona. The first half saw Barça play some very slick football and after half an hour, Lamine Yamal opened the scoring with a very assured finish. The teenager doubled Barça's lead just seven minutes later to secure a 2-0 half-time lead, which Hansi Flick's men built upon with aplomb in the second half through goals from Dani Olmo and Pedri.
Prior to that, Barcelona hammered Real Valladolid 7-0, a result that came after three successive 2-1 wins against Rayo Vallecano, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia.
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