The Ligue 1 title looks set to be heading towards the capital city as big-spending PSG are running away with it. However, the rest of the Champions League qualifying places still need to be decided with a few teams battling it out for 2^nd. The current occupiers of second-place are Lyon and they face current French champions, Monaco, who sit 4^th in the table, holding down the final Champions League position.

STATS

• After a fantastic title-winning season last term, Monaco have been far from that so far this season. They have won just twice in their last six matches in all competitions with only one of those wins coming in the league. They drew 2-2 with Marseille in their last league fixture in a game that they needed to take three points from to move into second. However, they did win their last game, which was in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-final against Montpellier, a brace from Falcao secured their passage into the final.
• Lyon have been much better during this campaign than they were in the last and are currently the closest challengers to PSG, albeit 11 points behind them. They have lost just once in their last eight league matches, winning six of them. This loss came last time out as they were beaten 3-1 away at Bordeaux after being the victims of a very dubious penalty decision.
• Aside from PSG players, Monaco have Ligue 1’s leading goal scorer and it is Falcao who is having yet another great season in front of goal. He has 16 goals after just 23 games.
• The other player in the French top-flight with 16 goals is Lyon forward, Nabil Fekir. What makes Fekir’s form even more impressive is his six assists, meaning he has been directly involved in 22 goals this term.

HEAD TO HEAD

Monaco don’t have the greatest run of results against Lyon in recent years with just one win in their last seven league meetings. The most recent match between the two sides was actually a Coupe de France game and Lyon came out on top in a five-goal thriller. This was the second game that Lyon had beaten Monaco 3-2 this season as the reverse fixture in the league earlier in the campaign also ended with the same scoreline. Both teams have scored in each of the last five league meetings between these sides.

MONACO NEWS

Three points for Monaco in this one would see them leapfrog Lyon into 2^nd, dependent on whether Marseille win on Saturday. If Marseille lose, then Monaco will go 2^nd. They might be without star man, Thomas Lemar, which would seriously hurt their chances of winning.

Latest matches: AS Monaco

31.01.2018	Coup	AS Monaco	Montpellier HSC	2:0	W
28.01.2018	Ligu	Olympique Marseille	AS Monaco	2:2	D
24.01.2018	Coup	AS Monaco	Olympique Lyon	2:3	L
21.01.2018	Ligu	AS Monaco	FC Metz	3:1	W
16.01.2018	Ligu	AS Monaco	OGC Nice	2:2	D

LYON NEWS

While a win for Lyon obviously wouldn’t see them move up the table, it would mean they further consolidate their Champions League place. They don’t have any injury problems to worry about, so they will take high confidence into the match.

Latest matches: Olympique Lyon

28.01.2018	Ligu	FC Girondins Bordeaux	Olympique Lyon	3:1	L
24.01.2018	Coup	AS Monaco	Olympique Lyon	2:3	W
21.01.2018	Ligu	Olympique Lyon	Paris St Germain	2:1	W
17.01.2018	Ligu	EA Guingamp	Olympique Lyon	0:2	W
14.01.2018	Ligu	Olympique Lyon	SCO Angers	1:1	D

SUMMARY

Lyon certainly have better form heading into the match but they will be up against with Monaco’s strong home support. With two of France’s best teams going head to head, it has a draw written all over it but it could take one moment of magic to flip the match either way, it should be a great game.