Monaco will aim to get off the mark in the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season at the third attempt when they welcome Lens to the Stade Louis II on Saturday afternoon.

Niko Kovac's men have already drawn with Nantes and lost to Lorient this season, while the visitors have played out draws with Saint-Etienne and Rennes.

Match preview

If August is a sign of things to come for the remainder of the season, Les Monegasques supporters ought to be alarmed, as Monaco have failed to balance European and domestic commitments with any sort of conviction whatsoever.

Victories over Sparta Prague in the earlier rounds of Champions League qualifying represent the only silver lining in Monaco's early endeavours, with Kovac's side taking just one point from six on offer in Ligue 1 as Terem Moffi's penalty won the day for Lorient last week.

Monaco were already lacking in confidence by the time they welcomed Shakhtar Donetsk to the Stade Louis II for the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie, and despite totalling 16 shots compared to the Ukrainians' six, they slumped to a 1-0 defeat courtesy of Pedrinho's 19th-minute winner.

Kovac labelled his side underdogs before the visit of Shakhtar, but the Croatian's mind games failed to bear fruit, and Monaco must now turn around a poor spell of home form which has seen them win just two of their last five at the Stade Louis II in all tournaments.

Monaco's early struggles have seen them already fall well behind Paris Saint-Germain as they lie 14th in the table, but with Lille and Lyon also flattering to deceive in the early stages, there is no cause for panic in Kovac's ranks just yet.

The big challenge for Lens this term is to prove that they were no one-season wonder in the 2020-21 campaign, and Franck Haise's men have made a respectable - but not spectacular - start to their second consecutive season in the big time.

After holding Rennes to a 1-1 draw in gameweek one, Sang et Or were forced to come from behind twice to rescue a point against Saint-Etienne, as Ignatius Ganago and Seko Fofana cancelled out strikes from Wahbi Khazri and Denis Bouanga at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

There is no reason for Lens to believe that another European charge is not on the cards as some of the big boys falter, and two very winnable fixtures against Bordeaux and Lorient follow the trip to Monaco, who are not exactly impenetrable themselves.

Sang et Or embarked on a stellar away run which saw them string together an eight-game unbeaten streak between January and April, but they have now failed to win any of their last four on unfamiliar territory and have conceded in each of their last nine away matches.

However, Haise's side did pull off a shock 3-0 win in this fixture last season, and they held Monaco to a goalless draw on home soil as recently as May 23, so this clash could still prove to be another banana skin for Kovac's fatigued troops.

Team News

Bayern Munich loanee Alexander Nubel has quickly become Kovac's number one goalkeeper, but the German missed out against Shakhtar due to gastrointestinal issues and is uncertain for this battle.

With Benjamin Lecomte now an Atletico Madrid player, Radoslaw Majecki could find himself in between the sticks for the second game running, and rotation is sure to strike again for the hosts ahead of their make-or-break trip to Ukraine next week.

Myron Boadu could be reinstated to the first XI up top as Wissam Ben Yedder struggles to find his shooting boots, while Axel Disasi, Jean Lucas and Sofiane Diop - who has just committed his future to the club until 2026 - are all options for change.

Lens may be able to welcome left-back Massadio Haidara back from a calf injury in time for the trip to Monaco, but Deiver Machado ought to keep his place in the XI for now.

Wesley Said, Charles Boli and Mamadou Camara also remain in the treatment room, while 19-year-old Christopher Wooh once again started in defence against Saint-Etienne with Steven Fortes out of contention.

Wooh will be holding out for a third appearance in the Lens backline, but Kevin Danso - a recent arrival from Augsburg - could be handed his first start for the club.

Monaco possible starting lineup:
Majecki; Aguilar, Disasi, Badiashile, Henrique; Martins, Fofana, Lucas, Diop; Boadu, Volland

Lens possible starting lineup:
Leca; Danso, Gradit, Medina; Clauss, Doucoure, Fofana, Machado; Kakuta; Sotoca, Ganago

We say: Monaco 1-1 Lens

Monaco have bigger fish to fry right now as they seek to avoid an earlier-than-expected exit from the Champions League, and Lens will need no second invitation to capitalise on their hosts' misfortunes.

Furthermore, the vast majority of Lens players in this group featured in their positive showings against Monaco last season, and we think Haise's men will do enough to claim another point here.

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