Two of French football's big-hitters meet at the Groupama Stadium on Saturday as Lyon host Monaco in the day's early kickoff in Ligue 1.

Despite a summer of spending, it was a dismal start to the season for Lyon a week ago, while Monaco picked up where they left off last season with a win to get their campaign underway.

Match preview

Lyon boss Pierre Sage has the unenviable task of picking his side up off the floor after a humbling 3-0 defeat at Rennes last weekend.

After taking 37 points from a possible 45 to finish last season, hopes and expectations were high at Lyon that they could kick on, turning a potential relegation scrap into Europa League qualification.

That form paired with spending in excess of £100m meant the club's supporters will have fancied their chances at Rennes, but the opposite transpired, with new signing Georges Mikautadze also missing a second-half penalty.

Upcoming opponents Monaco are set to offer another stern test too, but they are a side that Lyon beat home and away in Ligue 1 last season, with both victories coming with goals in the final five minutes.

Monaco were Paris Saint-Germain's closest challengers last season, finishing second under Adi Hutter, and the Austrian manager will have ambitions of pushing the Parisiens closer this season.

Their season started with a 1-0 win over newly-promoted Saint Etienne, as Takumi Minamino netted the game's only goal midway through the first half.

It was a 3-0 success over Barcelona in their final game of pre-season which raised many eyebrows though, and Monaco were able to back that up in their first competitive outing of the new season.

Like Lyon, Monaco have also spent big, with a season of Champions League football on the horizon, as six new faces have arrived at the Stade Louis II costing a combined £70m, and most played some part in the win last week.

Hutter's men also bring good form from the back end of last season, where they won seven of their final eight matches, but the one exception was a 3-2 defeat here against Lyon in April.

Team News

While it was a debut to forget for Mikautadze, Lyon's other new faces also failed to make much of an impact, but Said Benrahma, Ernest Nuamah, Moussa Niakhate and Abner are all expected to remain in the side.

In attack, Mama Balde was given a debut off the bench and could push for a start this time around, while the fitness of Alexandre Lacazette is still questionable after his appearances for France at the Olympics.

Monaco will be able to call upon Wilfried Singo after he served a suspension that had carried over from last season on the opening weekend.

Out wide though, Hutter will be without Aleksandr Golovin (ankle) and Krepin Diatta (thigh) through injury, with goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki also sidelined.

Wissam Ben Yedder and Youssouf Fofana's departures have left big holes in the Monaco side, but the arrivals of George Ilenikhena and Lamine Camara could help to plug those, with the latter making an impressive debut against Saint Etienne.

Lyon possible starting lineup:
Lucas Perri; Clinton Mata, Caleta-Car, Niakhate, Abner; Matic, Caqueret, Mangala; Nuamah, Mikautadze, Benrahma

Monaco possible starting lineup:
Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Salisu, Jakobs; Camara, Zakaria; Minamino, Ben Seghir; Embolo, Balogun

We say: Lyon 1-2 Monaco

Last week's defeat at Rennes suggests Lyon's new faces need more time to bed in, and they could struggle against one of Ligue 1's strongest outfits.

With a much more settled side, Monaco could take advantage here to make it two wins from two with a real statement victory on the road against a side still in transition.


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