Monaco vs St Etienne Prediction & Betting Tips (17 August)

If it was not able to compete with PSG in the title race, AS Monaco was still there last year by obtaining a very good 2nd place in Ligue 1, at 9 lengths of the capital club but with 6 points ahead of its first pursuer, Brest. A lesser evil for the Principality club which was deprived of the European Cup last season and which will therefore have the leisure of being able to return to the group stage of the Champions League after 5 years of absence. Very quickly back on the pitch this summer, Adi Hütter's men were beaten in friendly matches by BFC Dynamo 4-2 then by Servette 0-1 before drawing with Cercle Bruges 1-1 and at Sturm Graz 1-1. They will then try to gain strength against Feyenoord, Club Bruges, Genoa and FC Barcelona. For their part, AS Saint-Etienne is back in the elite after spending 2 long years at the lower level. .

However, this return to Ligue 1 was not obvious for the Forez club which was going through a big crisis in the fall before regaining excellent momentum during the second part of the season. Under the orders of Oliver Dall'Oglio, the Greens were able to finish on the 3rd step of the podium before dismissing Rodez 2-0 then FC Metz 1-1, 1-2 AP in the play-offs to validate their rise. The objective, for the residents of Geoffroy-Guichard, will be to quickly distance themselves from the relegation zone. This summer, the Stéphanois drew with Clermont 1-1 then they were able to win against Villarreal 3-1. They will still face Montpellier, Grenoble and Getafe.

A page has turned for AS Monaco with the departure of Wissam Ben Yedder. This is a major departure for the principality club which loses the one who had scored at least 16 goals in each of the 5 seasons he spent on the Rock. German defender Kherer was permanently recruited from West Ham after his 6-month loan while central defender Matsima (Clermont), midfielder Matazo (Royal Antwerp) and winger Boadu (Twente) are back after having been looking for playing time elsewhere last year. In addition, Senegalese midfielder Lamine Camara (Metz) and the very promising Ilenikhena (Royal Antwerp) also arrived on the Rock. Most of last year's executives are still at the club except midfielder Mohamed Camara who left for Qatar. We think of the Russian Golovin (6 goals, 6 assists), the Swiss internationals Zakaria and Embolo, the Japanese Minamino (9 goals, 6 assists), the French midfielder Fofana (4 goals, 4 assists), the American Balogun (7 goals, 5 assists) and the nugget Akliouche (7 goals, 4 assists). The latter, however, played the Olympics with the French team and it is not certain that he will be available, any more than the defender Magassa.

Saint-Etienne was unable to keep the man who was one of the great architects of the rise, namely Irvin Cardona. Author of 9 goals and 3 assists, the former Brest player returned to Augsburg from whom he had been loaned in the same capacity as winger Mbuku (4 goals). The excellent Chambost (6 goals, 7 assists) was exiled to MLS, with Columbus, while defender Nade was not extended. On the other hand, the Greens have set their sights on winger Davitashvili (Bordeaux), on midfielder Boakye (Wolfsberger), on winger Old (Wellington) and on the very experienced defender Abdelhamid (Reims). Also note the return of defensive midfielder Mouton (Pau) from loan. The very valuable midfielder Cafaro (4 goals, 8 assists) and the top scorer Sissoko (12 goals) are still present in the squad.