The match of the 18th round of the Ligue 1 between Monaco and Lorient will take place on 16 January at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille. Monaco vs Lorient: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Monaco
Monaco, coached by Sébastien Pocognoli, played at home in the last round but lost to Lyon 1:3. That was the sixth defeat in seven recent league matches, although the side did manage a win over PSG (1:0) during this run. These results have led to a slide down to a lowly ninth place in the standings. The gap to the top four now stands at nine points. It should be noted that the club last had worse form after 17 rounds in the 2018/19 season, when it finished 17th at the end of the campaign.
- Monaco conceded first in 6 of their previous 7 Ligue 1 matches.
- Monaco have avoided defeat in 14 of their last 17 home league matches (12 wins and 2 draws).
- The club conceded in 7 of their previous 9 home games in Ligue 1.
Potential Monaco Lineup (4-3-1-2)*
Lukasz Grygowski – Kayo Henrique, Thilo Kehrer, Christian Mawissa, Mohammed Salisu – Jordan Tese, Mamadou Coulibaly, Aleksandr Golovin – Magn Acliush – Mika Biret, Folarin Balogun.
Due to injury, goalkeeper Lukasz Grygowski, midfielder Takumi Minamino, defenders Christian Mawissa and Wanderson, and forward Ansu Fati are out. Defender Mohammed Salisu will not play this season due to a torn cruciate ligament. There is still no clarity on the return date for midfielder Paul Pogba. Due to suspension, midfielder Mamadou Coulibaly and defenders Stanis Muzambo and Thilo Kehrer will miss the match.
Lorient
Lorient began the new year with a home draw against Metz, which ended 1:1. That was the side's second consecutive draw in the league. Lorient remain unbeaten in six Ligue 1 matches (2 wins and 4 draws). At the same time, the visitors have conceded in 13 of their last 15 league games. Currently the club sits in 12th place and has a comfortable five-point cushion above the bottom three.
- In their previous 11 Ligue 1 matches the team have managed just 2 wins (6 draws and 3 defeats).
- Lorient failed to score in 9 of their last 12 league matches.
- The club's winless away run in Ligue 1 stands at 13 matches – 4 draws and 9 defeats.
Potential Lorient Lineup (4-4-2)*
Yvon Mvogo – Igor Silva, Jordi Makengo, Nathanael Adjei, Bamo Meite – Yoel Mugisha, Theo Le Brier, Noa Kadiu, Laurent Abergel – Pablo Paez, Sambu Sumano.
Due to injury, midfielder Panos Kanzeris is out.
Referee
Willy Delajot (France)
Matches – 8 (the Ligue 1, 2025/26);
Yellow Cards Shown (Including Second Yellows) – 20;
Average Yellow Cards Per Match – 2.5;
Red Cards Shown – 3;
Fouls Per Match – 24;
Penalties – 63%.
Monaco vs Lorient: Match Prediction
Monaco are clearly in very poor form. Six defeats in seven league matches say a lot. A short break between rounds should help the side calm down and gather strength to at least fight for a European spot. A win in this meeting is quite realistic, given that Lorient have taken just 3 points in 8 away matches in the current championship. Only Auxerre have worse away numbers (2 points).
In addition, Lorient have scored only two goals away in this Ligue 1 season. With such an attack it will be hard to expect points against a crisis-hit Monaco. And Monaco are not that bad at home, having won 12 of their last 17 home league matches. Therefore, a home victory is proposed for this confrontation.
Prediction: Monaco To Win
* The starting lineup listed for each team is the one used in their last match in this competition.
