Following the logical contract extension with Adi Hütter, AS Monaco have struggled to find their winning stride. Being eliminated from the Coupe de France by Reims (1:2 after penalties) forces them to play decisively on Montpellier's half—they will be pursuing goals as the favourites.
It's clear that AS Monaco's minor slump is incomparable to Montpellier's crisis. Since the November international break, Montpellier have failed to secure a victory, suffering five defeats in seven matches. They crashed out of the Coupe de France against Le Puy (0:4) and conceded a concerning 4.55 xGA in matches against Olympique Lyonnais (0:1) and Angers (1:3). It seems likely that the coaching staff won't be able to save the club's situation—there is a shortage of fit defenders.
Before turning their attention back to the international stage, AS Monaco will aim to close the gap on Paris Saint-Germain in the title race. During their away draw with Nantes (2:2), the royal club created an impressive 3.49 xG—even with several injuries, they maintain pressure on opposing teams' goals. In eight away matches, AS Monaco have scored 14 goals—only Strasbourg (16), PSG (20), and Marseille (25) have more in Ligue 1.
Since December 2023, AS Monaco have secured three consecutive victories over Montpellier, scoring two goals in each encounter. They are motivated to break their poor form, while the outsiders have seemingly lost hope of avoiding relegation.
