Preview: Paris-Monaco

THE LATEST RANKINGS

Paris Saint-Germain's 0-3 victory away to Stade de Reims just before the international break was their fifth league win in a row, following wins over Rennes (1-3), Strasbourg (3-0), Brest (2-3) and Montpellier (3-0). Paris now have 27 points from 12 league games and have taken over the top spot from OGC Nice, who are one point behind.

AS Monaco, for their part, are enjoying a promising season, with 24 points from 12 games and third place in Ligue 1. ASM have won four of their last six matches, including victories over Marseille (3-2) and Stade de Reims (1-3). Only LOSC have managed to defeat the club from the Principality over this period (2-0).

a look back at the last showdown

The two sides met on Match day 23 at the Stade Louis II on 11 February. Monaco succeeded in taking the lead right from the start, with Aleksandr Golovin opening the scoring from close range after just a few minutes (1-0, 4'). Just after the 15 minute mark, Wissam Ben Yedder collected a high ball and doubled the lead with a right-footed shot across goal (2-0, 18'). Faced with a home team in the ascendancy, the task of getting back into the game looked more than a little perilous for the club from the capital.

But the Parisians responded through Juan Bernat, who sent in a cross for Warren Zaire-Emery to finish with the inside of his right foot (2-1, 39'). Unfortunately for the Rouge et Bleu, the joy was short-lived as Wissam Ben Yedder scored again, with assistance from the post just before half-time (3-1, 45'+2). Christophe Galtier's side were unable to get back into the game in the second half, and Paris lost 3-1 in the Principality.

OPPOSING FORCES

Adi Hütter and his team have two main playing systems: 3-4-3 and 4-4-2. In goal, Philipp Köhn seems to have been indisputable since the start of the season, with the Swiss international notching up 4 clean sheets. In front of him, Wilfried Singo has made a very promising start to the season. The Côte d'Ivoire international is the Monegasque player with the most interceptions so far (21). What's more, the man who arrived from Torino in the summer is the Ligue 1 defender who has won the most aerial duels so far this season (34).

Alongside him, Soungoutou Magassa is proving to be one of ASM's revelations of the season. The 20-year-old French U21 international is putting in a string of convincing performances, winning the ball back 69 times, making him Monaco's third-highest performer in this area. The experienced Guillermo Maripán seems to have a head start over French prospect Chrislain Matsima in the Rouge and Blanc's central defence, while Ghana international Mohammed Salisu is set to make his return to the squad without starting the match.

At right-back, Senegal international Krépin Diatta has been the option most used by the Austrian coach recently, but the return from injury of Brazilian international Vanderson, who has a more defensive profile, could upset the Monegasque coach's plans. On the other side, another Senegalese international is establishing himself as a regular starter: Ismail Jakobs. The former Cologne full-back is the player who has made the most tackles (17) in the Rouge et Blanc squad this season, and is putting in good performances in the absence of Caio Henrique.

In midfield, the Youssouf Fofana/Denis Zakaria partnership is essential to Monaco's tactical plan. With a high workrate, the French international is also the most used outfield player since the start of the season, the French international has also been ASM's most-used outfield player since the start of the season, making 12 starts in as many league games. As for Denis Zakaria, the Swiss international stands out for his technical and athletic ability in the middle of the pitch. Since the start of the season, the former Juventus and Chelsea midfielder's dribbling success rate stands at 80% (12/15).

On the wings, the very promising Maghnes Akliouche has recently taken Takumi Minamino's place on the right, despite an excellent start to the season with 3 goals and 3 assists in his first 5 games. Since then, however, Akliouche has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence, and the French U21 international has racked up no fewer than 3 goals and 1 assist so far. On the left flank, Aleksandr Golovin has been the key figure in Monaco's successful start to the season. With 5 goals and 2 assists, the Russian international is quite simply the most clinical player in ASM's ranks this season.

Finally, at the head of the attack, the captain of the Rouge and Blancs, Wissam Ben Yedder. The French international is the player with the most touches in the opposition penalty area (48) among Monaco's squad. That's enough to overtake American international Folarin Balogun (3 goals), while Myron Boadu is still unavailable through injury.

lee kang-in - aleksandr golovin: THE DUEL of the MATCH

The meeting between Paris and Monaco will be an opportunity for two attacking midfielders to showcase their talents: Lee Kang-In for the capital club, and Aleksandr Golovin for the club from the Rock. And while the Monaco player has been more clinical than his Parisian counterpart, the South Korean international has been in particularly good form in his most recent outings. Lee Kang-In set up Kylian Mbappé's goal at Stade Brestois a short while ago, and he then went on to score against Montpellier at the Parc des Princes in early November. With the energy and aplomb he brings to the Parisian game, the Korean could be poison for his opponents.

As for Aleksandr Golovin, the Russian player is the real hub of his team. The former CSKA Moscow technical leader is not content with just being clinical with goals and assists, as he is also involved in his side's defensive duties, making 48 interceptions and 10 successful tackles in the league. But it is in the attacking area that he can make the most of his technical ability and vision. On average, Aleksandr Golovin has created 4 shots per game in Ligue 1 so far this season. It promises to be a lively duel on the pitch at the Parc des Princes...