Monaco vs Tottenham Hotspur

Monaco will be looking to convert resilience into results when Tottenham Hotspur pay a visit. Les Monégasques have drawn their last three competitive matches [DDD], a sequence that began with a spirited 2-2 comeback against Manchester City on UCL matchday two, before being held 1-1 by Angers in Ligue 1 at the weekend. That latest draw marked the first outing under new manager Sébastien Pocognoli, who will be keen to record a statement win in front of the home fans. Despite their uninspiring form [WLDDD], the hosts remain unbeaten at home this season [3W, 2D, 0L] in all competitions and have shown notable fighting spirit — their comeback against City was the first time Les Rouge et Blanc twice recovered from losing positions in a single UCL fixture since a 2-2 draw with Rangers in November 2000. However, long-term European trends are less encouraging. Since their famous 2016–17 run — when they beat Tottenham en route to the semi-finals — Les Monégasques have won just three of their last 13 UCL home matches [3W, 1D, 9L]. Injuries continue to pose a challenge for Pocognoli, who will be without Paul Pogba, Denis Zakaria, Lamine Camara, former Spurs defender Eric Dier and a few others. Mika Biereth is expected to lead the attacking line in a 3—4—2—1 formation.

Tottenham, meanwhile, head to the Principality seeking to preserve their unbeaten start to this season’s UCL campaign [1-0 win vs Villarreal and 2-2 draw at Bodø/Glimt]. Under Thomas Frank, Spurs have made a steady return to Europe’s top competition, and avoiding defeat here would make the Dane the first Tottenham manager to go unbeaten in his first three UCL matches in charge. However, the London club arrive on the back of a frustrating 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa, a match in which they led but failed to close out. Their European away form is another concern, with just one win from their last seven UCL road games [1W, 2D, 4L]—though that sole victory did come in France, when they beat Marseille 2-1 in 2022. The Lilywhites are hopeful that captain Cristian Romero will recover from a minor injury in time to feature. Radu Drăgușin, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke are ruled out. Meanwhile, Richarlison may start in a 4—2—3—1 pattern.