The Ligue 1 Matchday 18 clash between Monaco and Lorient will take place on 16 January at the Stade Louis II in Fontvieille. Monaco vs Lorient: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Monaco
Sebastien Pocognoli's side were also at home last time out, but they lost 1:3 to Lyon. That was their sixth defeat in the last seven league matches, although they did manage to beat Paris Saint-Germain 1:0 during that run. Those results have seen the club drop to a lowly ninth in the standings, while the gap to the top four has now grown to nine points. It is worth noting that the last time the club had a worse record after 17 rounds in Ligue 1 was in the 2018/19 season, when they finished the campaign only 17th.
- The Monegasques conceded first in six of their previous seven Ligue 1 matches.
- Monaco have avoided defeat in 14 of their last 17 home league matches (12 wins and two draws).
- The club have conceded in seven of their previous nine home games in Ligue 1.
Potential Monaco Lineup (4-3-1-2)*
Lukasz Hradecky – Caio Henrique, Thilo Kehrer, Christian Mawissa, Mohammed Salisu – Jordan Teze, Mamadou Coulibaly, Aleksandr Golovin – Maghnes Akliouche – Mika Biereth, Folarin Balogun.
Goalkeeper Lukasz Hradecky, midfielder Takumi Minamino, defenders Christian Mawissa and Vanderson, and forward Ansu Fati are out injured. We should also note that defender Mohammed Salisu will not play again this season (cruciate ligament rupture). There is still no clarity on the return date of midfielder Paul Pogba. Midfielder Mamadou Coulibaly and defenders Stanis Mouzambo and Thilo Kehrer will miss the match through suspension. The club have also signed defender Wout Faes on loan from Leicester City.
Lorient
The club began the new year with a home match against Metz, which ended 1:1. It was their second successive draw in the league. Lorient are unbeaten in six Ligue 1 matches (two wins and four draws). At the same time, Olivier Pantaloni's men have conceded in 13 of their last 15 league games. The club currently sit 12th and have a comfortable five-point cushion over the bottom three.
- In their previous 11 Ligue 1 matches, the team have managed just two wins (six draws and three defeats).
- Lorient failed to score in nine of their last 12 league games.
- The club's winless away run in Ligue 1 stands at 13 matches (four draws and nine defeats).
Potential Lorient Lineup (4-4-2)*
Yvon Mvogo – Igor Silva, Jordi Makengo, Nathaniel Adjei, Bamo Meite – Joel Mvuka, Theo Le Bris, Noa Kadiou, Laurent Abergel – Pablo Pagis, Sambou Soumano.
Midfielder Panos Katseris is out injured.
Referee
Willy Delajod
(France)
Matches – 8 (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 on average – 24;
Penalties – 63%.
Monaco vs Lorient: Match Prediction
The Monegasques are in a truly dreadful state. After all, six defeats in seven league matches tells its own story. The short break between rounds should help the team settle down and build up their energy to get back into the fight for at least a European place. A win in this match is entirely realistic, given that Lorient have collected just three points from eight away games in the current league campaign. The only side with a worse away record are Auxerre (two points).
In addition, Olivier Pantaloni's men have scored only two goals on the road in this Ligue 1 season. With such an attack, it will be difficult to expect points against a Monaco side in crisis. However, the hosts are not that bad at their own stadium, having won 12 of their previous 17 home league matches. For that reason, we are backing a home win in this contest.
Prediction: Monaco to win
* For each team, the starting XI from their previous match in this competition is listed.
