Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League match.
Club Brugge KV
Club Brugge made strong sales this summer, banking a profit of over €80m, but they had to part with some of their brightest performers — key midfielders Ardon Jashari and Maxim De Cuyper, who had been influential down the left flank. The largest fee came from selling winger Chemsdine Talbi to Sunderland, whose contributions helped secure progression to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout phase. There were arrivals, but all of them, except for 25-year-old central midfielder Ludovit Reis from Hamburger, are very young. Even so, a slightly retooled side brushed past Rangers with surprising ease in the final qualifying round (3:1 and 6:0).
AS Monaco
AS Monaco have reasons to be wary of the immediate challenge. The team did not need to go through UEFA Champions League qualifying, but in Ligue 1 they have had to work hard for points despite sitting third in the Ligue 1 standings after four rounds. The wins over RC Strasbourg Alsace (3:2) and AJ Auxerre (2:1) were snatched late. AS Monaco lost to LOSC Lille (0:1), and the decisive passage again came in the final 10 minutes.
Club Brugge vs AS Monaco Prediction
AS Monaco’s away record in the previous UEFA Champions League campaign also failed to convince: there was just one win in five matches. The rest brought two draws against mid-level opposition and heavy defeats against the heavyweights Arsenal and Inter Milan (both 0:3). In our view, that makes at least a draw a realistic outcome for Club Brugge.
