Monaco Hosts Crvena Zvezda in UEFA Champions League: Preview and Predictions

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, AS Monaco will welcome Crvena Zvezda to the Stade Louis II in the third round of the UEFA Champions League. This match promises to be an exciting encounter between two teams with differing recent forms.

Monaco, under the management of Adi Hutter, has had a strong start to the season. In Ligue 1, they are currently second, just behind Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference, with six wins and two draws in their first eight matches. In the Champions League, Monaco began their campaign with a surprising 2-1 victory over Barcelona and followed it up with a 2-2 draw against Dinamo Zagreb, coming back from a two-goal deficit.

However, Monaco will be without key players due to injuries. Mohammed Salisu, Folarin Balogun, and Edan Diop are all sidelined, which could impact their lineup. Despite these absences, Monaco’s deep and impressive squad is expected to adjust accordingly.

Crvena Zvezda, the dominant force in Serbian football, have also had a strong domestic season, winning ten and drawing one of their first 11 matches in the Serbian SuperLiga. However, their Champions League form has been less impressive, with a 2-1 loss to Benfica and a 4-0 defeat to Internazionale in their opening matches. They will be without Mirko Ivanic due to injury and have doubts over the availability of Ornjen Mimovic and Vuk Draskic.

Historically, Monaco has the upper hand in this matchup, having won the only two previous UEFA competition matches between the teams in the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League group stage. Crvena Zvezda’s away form in the Champions League is particularly concerning, with ten consecutive away losses in the competition proper.

Predictions favor Monaco to win, given their home advantage and current form. Betting tips suggest that both teams will score, and Monaco is likely to secure a victory, possibly with a handicap of -1.5 goals.