Monaco is poor form
Heading into such an important game, Monaco couldn’t be in worse form. They’ve lost three of their last four matches and haven’t won since December 22. That was against a no-name club in the Round of 64 in the French Cup. The Red and Whites fell 2-1 to Montpellier on Friday thanks to a late double from Musa Al-Tamaari. Thilo Kehrer scored in first half but Monaco fell apart in the second period.
When it comes to the Champions League, Adi Hutter’s men are in 16th place with a 3-1-2 record, scoring 12 goals while allowing 10 in six outings. They upset Barcelona on matchday one but have barely won since then, losing back-to-back matches to Arsenal and Benfica. Maghnes Akliouche, Mika Biereth, and Takumi Minamino have all scored two goals apiece in the competition.
Monaco has never faced Aston Villa, but they have won four of their last five games against English opponents on home soil, which is a promising sign. While results elsewhere will ultimately decide their fate heading into matchday eight, a lone point here is likely going to eliminate any chance of making the Round of 16. They have +140 odds at Betway for Tuesday’s affair.
Villa enjoying UCL action
While Villa is in eighth place in the Premier League at the moment, they’re only two points off a top-four spot and have looked brilliant in the Champions League, their first time in the competition ever. Unai Emery’s men have a great chance of progressing to the knockout stages but producing results over the last two games will be crucial. Six teams have 13 points like them, while a handful are sitting on 12.
The Lions have beaten both Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig through their first six UCL games. They own a 4-1-1 record overall, with the only defeat coming against Club Brugge in early November. Despite starting just once, Colombian sensation Jhon Duran leads the side with three goals in Europe and they’ve all been brilliant. John McGinn also has two goals, while January signing Donyell Malen brings experience from Borussia Dortmund, having already hit the back of the net twice in this season’s tournament.
Emery’s squad is unbeaten in five appearances and just snatched a huge point on Saturday against Arsenal. Villa was two goals down by the 55th minute but quickly turned this game on its head, with Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins scoring within just eight minutes of each other. Before the draw, Villa had three consecutive wins. They are a confident side heading into Tuesday, where the visitors have +180 odds at most soccer betting sites.
Monaco vs Aston Villa injury news
Monaco is dealing with a few injuries ahead of this UCL clash, with Folarin Balogun, George Ilenikhena, and Krepin Diatta sidelined. Dennis Zakaria and Wilfried Singo are also doubtful to feature here. Villa has its problems as well. McGinn is a doubt due to a thigh issue. Ross Barkley and Pau Torres are out, too, while Amadou Onana may miss out after leaving the Arsenal match early with an injury.
