AS Monaco vs Angers SCO Prediction: High-flying Monaco Looks to Extend Dominance Over Angers Amid Defensive Vulnerabilities

Coming into this Ligue 1 Round 10 fixture on November 1, 2024, at the Stade Louis II are second-place AS Monaco and 15th-place Angers SCO in a game that means so much to both teams. Monaco currently boasts six wins in nine games with some impressive form, but a setback occurred last week when they lost 2-1 to OGC Nice in a fiery clash filled with a red card given to their influential defender Vanderson. Angers come into this match with their rare 4-2 victory over St. Etienne, but the defensive frailties that have kept them near the relegation places all season long will give them an uphill battle. Both teams set to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation, promising an intense midfield battle and potentially end-to-end action.

AS Monaco has had an extremely effective season defined by its attack, consistently scoring goals, and presenting a problem for any Ligue 1 side. Manager Adolf Hutter builds his Monaco tactics around a high-intensity tempo, using his forward line to press opponents. But they have been inconsistent in defense this season, too-as evidenced by their recent defeat to Nice, in which they conceded two goals and lost Vanderson to a red card. They have consistently been involved in high-scoring matches, too, with eight of their nine games this season seeing over 2.5 goals.

Adolph Hutter will most likely stick to Monaco's dynamic 4-2-3-1 setup, unleashing Monaco's potent attacking powers for an early gain in the match. Monaco will want to dominate midfield with possessions, with controlling central midfielders passing the ball wide to create spaces that can be exploited by their attackers. Given that Monaco average over two goals per game and eight of their last nine matches have seen over 2.5 goals, the forwards should be able to capitalize on any lapses in Angers'. Monaco will be without Vanderson, and it leaves them vulnerable down the right flank. Hutter will do well to address this by tightening his defense, perhaps leaning a little more on the midfield two to provide extra cover.

On the other side, Angers SCO have struggled defensively, conceding 14 goals in their past five games. Under Alexandre Dujeux, Angers' focus has been on a more conservative 4-2-3-1 setup, often sitting back and relying on counter-attacks. While their recent 4-2 win over St. Etienne provides some optimism, they've struggled to hold leads and often find themselves conceding first, a trend they'll need to counter against a high-flying Monaco side.

Alexandre Dujeux's Angers, on the other hand, are likely to be far more circumspect, relying on moments of counter-attack. Indeed, Angers do sit deeper in their 4-2-3-1, which often allows them to compress spaces in their own half and disrupt opponent attacks, though they often start games off on the back foot, conceding first in eight out of ten. The key to Angers will be to soak up pressure and then, through quick transitions, catch Monaco off-guard. Although the tactical discipline of Dujeux might help Angers stay in the game, breaking down Monaco's defense will surely require clinical finishing and well-coordinated play from the midfield and attack. 

Historically, Monaco have the dominant record against Angers with 14 wins to Angers' 3, alongside 3 draws. Monaco has found this a good fixture, having won the last seven meetings and gone unbeaten in the last nine. Monaco's winning trend cascades into the first halves of these matches, scoring first and leading at halftime in five of the last seven meetings. Another interesting fact is that the recent duels were rather clean, with five of their last seven games exhibiting less than 4.5 cards shown and less than 10.5 corners in six out of the last seven.

The most recent meeting between the two sides has Monaco edging it 2-1 in May 2023, showing them with great tactical superiority and attacking edge.

Coming into this fixture, the visiting team is considered the favorite, with superior league form and momentum from a seven-game winning streak against Angers. While there is the setback in defense for Monaco with Vanderson's suspension, the Monaco attacking unit should compensate for that, as the Angers defense has often tended to concede early in matches and struggle for cohesion when the pressure is applied to it over time.

A recent 4-2 win over St. Etienne underlined Angers' capabilities in attack but without the defensive solidity needed to shut the door on teams of the caliber of Monaco. With Angers' trend of conceding first and more often than not failing to mount a comeback from such situations, they might find themselves on the back foot pretty early into the game. A physical contest should be expected with both teams consistently seeing high card counts, Monaco with over 4.5 cards in five of their last six, Angers similarly.

• Monaco Wins & Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.67 Odds
• GG (yes) 2.03 Odds
• Correct Score 3:1 @ 11.00.Odds