Focus on AS Saint Étienne
It’s time for the last match before the end of year for AS Monaco. The Red and Whites will host AS Saint-Étienne this Wednesday at the Stade Louis-II (9 PM, behind closed doors) to conclude the 17th Matchday in Ligue 1.
Five games unbeaten
With three wins over the first three Matchdays, then a slump until the end of November, AS Saint-Etienne has alternated the good and the bad since the start of the season. However, Saint-Etienne has been doing better over the last five matches. Les Verts recorded four draws (1-1 against Lille, 0-0 in Dijon, 0-0 against Angers and 2-2 against Nîmes) and a win on their trip to Bordeaux (1-2) on Matchday 15.
The Loire club have won twice away in their last eight trips in the league, enough to place Claude Puel’s men in 14th place in the away table (as well as in the general table). The tactician will undoubtedly benefit from the recent return of Arnaud Nordin, the team’s form player with three assists and two goals.
❌ Wahbi #Khazri out, @MoukoudiH suspendu.
🔙 Kévin #MonnetPaquet, Aïmen #Moueffek et @M_Tshibuabua de retour.𝐋𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟐 pour #ASMASSE 👇 pic.twitter.com/biULp0KjTx
— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) December 22, 2020
A rejuvenated team
After the departure of club legend Loïc Perrin to retirement and rising star Wesley Fofana to Leicester, ASSE had to find alternatives to fill the shoes of these important departures. Central defence was a main project last summer for Roland Romeyer and Bernard Caïazzo. Slowly but surely, Harold Moukoudi has won a starting role starting the last seven games in Ligue 1.
As a bonus, he scored his first goal in green in the last match against Nîmes (2-2). Despite that, he will be absent for this match, because he is suspended. In front of him, the Cameroonian defender can count on his compatriot who is none other than Yvan Neyou, the revelation of this Saint-Etienne side since the resumption of the league in August. Launched into the deep end against PSG in the final of the Coupe de France (1-0), the native of Douala impresses by combining speed, physical prowess and vision, making him the centerpiece of the Stéphanois‘ way of playing.
Press conference extracts:
Read the pre-match press conference from Niko Kovac.
Read the pre-match press conference from Sofiane Diop.
AS Monaco – AS Saint-Étienne by the numbers…
- 103: Number of matches in Ligue 1, for a total of 35 wins 26 draws and 42 losses (121 goals scored, 141 conceded).
- 49: Total number of matches played at the Stade Louis-II, with a record of 22 wins 15 draws and 14 losses (71 goals scored 59 conceded).
- 3-0: On May 20, 1961, the Monegasques achieved their biggest win the Greens. Lucien Cossou (double) and Théophile Szkudlapski were the scorers in this match played in front of almost 4000 spectators.
- 10: The Rouge et Blanc have lost just one of their last 11 matches at home in Ligue 1 ( 7 wins, 3 draws).
- 5: AS Monaco have won five of AS Saint-Etienne’s ast six visits to the Stade Louis-II in Ligue 1 (4 wins, 1 draw).
- 134: Niko Kovac’s team have made 134 high recoveries (in the opposing 40 meters) in Ligue 1 this season, only Paris has done better in this area (149).
