As Monaco prepares to host Barcelona at the Stade Louis II in their opening Champions League group stage clash, both teams enter the match riding unbeaten starts to their respective domestic campaigns. This game marks an exciting fixture in the competition, with both sides aiming to build on their early-season form.
Match Preview
Monaco
Under the guidance of Adi Hütter, Monaco has been showing promising signs after finishing second in Ligue 1 last season, only behind Paris Saint-Germain. Monaco extended their unbeaten start in Ligue 1 to four matches with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Auxerre last weekend. With the game wrapped up early, Hütter had the luxury of making several substitutions to keep key players fresh for the Champions League fixture.
However, facing Barcelona will be a much tougher test compared to their domestic opposition. Monaco has a daunting task ahead in their Champions League campaign, as they are drawn in a challenging group, including Benfica, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, and Arsenal. The upcoming fixtures promise a stern challenge for the French side, but their record against Spanish teams should provide some encouragement. Monaco has won seven of their last nine encounters with Spanish opposition, a statistic that could give them confidence heading into Thursday’s clash.
Despite their solid start this season, Monaco has struggled at home in recent Champions League campaigns. The team has lost seven consecutive home games in the competition, and no side has ever lost eight in a row. The last time Monaco featured in the Champions League was in 2018, where they exited in the group stage for the second consecutive season. However, the club has a rich history in the competition, having reached the final once, the semi-finals three times, and the quarter-finals on one occasion.
Monaco and Barcelona have met only once in European competition, during the 1993 Champions League campaign, when Barcelona won both matches without conceding.
Barcelona
Barcelona, managed by Hansi Flick, are aiming for a deep run in Europe’s elite competition, something they’ve struggled to achieve in recent years. Despite being one of the top teams in Europe, Barcelona has only progressed beyond the quarter-finals once since winning the Champions League in 2015. Recent seasons have seen them fall out in the group stage in 2021 and 2022, marking a decline compared to their dominant run from 1999 to 2015 when they made it to at least the semi-finals 10 times in 15 campaigns.
Barcelona will hope to improve their Champions League form as they prepare for their 21st consecutive season in the competition. Monaco, however, may not be the most favorable opponent to start their campaign, given Barca’s mixed record when traveling to France. They have only won two of their last nine away games in the country, including a victory over PSG last season before being eliminated in the quarter-finals.
That said, Barcelona is known for starting their Champions League campaigns strongly in recent years, scoring five goals in opening-day wins over teams like Ferencvaros, Viktoria Plzen, and Antwerp. They come into this game in excellent form, having maintained a 100% record in La Liga with five wins from five matches. Their most recent outing was a 4-1 victory over Girona, with young star Lamine Yamal stealing the spotlight with two goals.
Team News
Monaco
Monaco has received a boost as midfielder Lamine Camara has been cleared to play after recovering from a neck injury sustained against Auxerre. However
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