Champions League: No Mercy For Monaco!

Monaco vs Borussia Dortmund

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund head to the Stade Louis II Stadium on Tuesday night to face Monaco in the final round of Champions League Group A.

It may be something of a dead rubber, with BVB already safe and Monaco doomed to prop up the group, but both teams have plenty to play for. Top spot is up for grabs if BVB comes out in charge of the French, while Monaco is in desperate need of a confidence-boosting win on home soil.

League form tells us this is a matchup between the best team in Germany against one of the worst in Ligue 1, so Monaco boss Thierry Henry has his work cut out to inspire his players to something of an upset. SBOBET is proud to be a partner of the Dortmund giants, whose form this season has been little short of breathtaking. Lucien Favre has guided them to the top of the league with a nine-point lead over champions FC Bayern in second.

The Bundesliga league leaders are already in the last sixteen of the Champions League but the Champions League 2018 betting odds are still very generous, with eight teams still ranked above Favre’s men. He won’t mind flying under the radar as long as his team keeps winning. Monaco, currently second bottom in France’s premier league needs to find that habit, and quickly.

Talking Points

Thierry Henry wants to make his players feel at home

Monaco has picked up a couple of wins in recent weeks but they still sit worryingly in the relegation zone in Ligue 1, though another win or two will see them climb up the table. But their home form has been wretched, without a win in ten in the principality.

Veteran striker and Captain Ramadel Falcao is still Monaco’s biggest threat and he scored a brace in a crucial win over Amiens last week. That dragged Henry’s team up to within three points of their opponents who occupy the last safety spot in 17^th.

Les Rouge at Blanc have had a breather from domestic matters this weekend as their league game against Nice was cancelled due to anti-government riots sweeping across France. Henry’s meeting with old Arsenal team-mate Patrick Vierra, who is now the head coach at Nice, is something to look forward to. But for now, Henry has more pressing matters at hand.

A win on Tuesday night won’t do anything to improve Monaco’s European prospects this season, but even so, it would be priceless in terms of morale. And it would be pretty big Champions League 2018 news.

How good is Jadon Sancho?

Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho ready to play against AS Monaco in the Champions League — Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jadon Sancho celebrates after scoring the game-winner against Schalke in the Rivierderby

What a year 2018 has turned out to be for Jadon Sancho. BVB’s England starlet was the derby hero in a 1-2 win over Schalke last weekend and that means he has already registered five goals and six assists in the Bundesliga this season. He has made his Three Lions debut and could well become a key player for Gareth Southgate in the 2020 European Championships if he continues this spectacular form.

But Favre has a wonderful choice of attacking players to call upon, with Paco Alcacer, Marco Reus, Jacob Bruun Larson, Axel Witsel and Christian Pulisic all in the Champions League goals already this campaign.

It’s all looking good in Dortmund.

History

Both these teams have graced the Champions League final, Monaco back in 2004, losing to Porto, while Borussia Dortmund won the tournament in 1997 and reached the final in the 2013 season.

While Borussia won the home tie this season by 3-0, Monaco beat the German side twice in the knockout stages of the 2017 Champions League.

But current form is weighted massively in the Germans’ favour. Dortmund hasn’t lost in the last six games, while as part of its dreadful run at home; winless in ten, Monaco has lost the last three games at the Stade Louis.

What Henry would do for a win on Tuesday!

Betting Tip

	AS Monaco vs Borussia Dortmund	Borussia Dortmund First Half 1X2 @ 2.36
	December 12, 04:00 (GMT+8)

I just can’t see Monaco getting any mercy from BVB. Winning is a habit and Lucien Favre will be very keen to keep it, with FC Bayern beginning to show some form in the Bundesliga.

Monaco is un-fancied to get a win at 4.70, with BVB at 1.70 and the draw at 3.70, but if you do believe the French can end their losing streak at home, you can get 2.06 on the double chance of Monaco or Draw.