AS Monaco – Lille OSC: Monaco held to goalless draw in a tactically interesting encounter (0-0)

One of the most interesting Ligue 1 fixtures for matchday eight was set to take place at Monaco’s stunning Stade Louis II. With AS Monaco having started their Ligue 1 campaign in godly form, they were sitting atop of the elusive summit of Ligue 1 standings taking what Paris Saint Germain believe should be rightfully theirs. A restored LOSC Lille were looking to do PSG a favour by taking all three points for the early round kick-off as the Parisian heavyweights played later that day. Both teams were in sizzling form which made for an even more intriguing encounter.

Tactical analysis and match report by William Sutton.

AS Monaco have kicked off their Ligue 1 season with an impressive streak, going unbeaten in seven matches for the fourth time in their history. Their strong performance has outshone defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who currently sit in second place. Adi Hütter's team has been dominant this season, netting fourteen goals. Monaco gained further confidence from their UEFA Champions League matches, beginning with a victory over Barcelona. Although their second match against Dinamo Zagreb was more challenging—where they fell behind 0-2 before equalizing—they demonstrated resilience by battling back to secure a draw. Meanwhile, Lille have also upheld a high standard in their own performances.

Heading into this matchup, Lille have struggled against Monaco in their last twelve away league encounters, failing to secure a single win and particularly disappointing in away results. 

Lille have reason to celebrate this year in the Champions League, successfully advancing through the qualifiers unlike Monaco, with wins over Fenerbahçe and Slavia Prague. Their narrow . . .