Monaco take on the visitors Crvena Zvezda in the round 3 match of UEFA Champions League group stage. The match will be played on Tuesday, October 22nd at Stade Louis II (Monaco).
The Champions League underwent significant changes before the start of the 2024/25 season. Now, all teams are grouped into one large table, and each team’s opponents are determined by a "pot draw." Monaco began their campaign in the top European tournament with a 2-1 victory over Barcelona. In the second round, Golovin and company secured a 2-2 draw away against Dinamo Zagreb. In theory, there shouldn’t be any issues with advancing to the playoffs, as the only "top" opponents left are Inter and Arsenal. Monaco should be able to handle the rest with their superior quality. They remain one of the few European teams unbeaten this season. At home, the Monegasques have also been strong, with four wins and two draws. In this new Champions League format, every victory is crucial, so the hosts should calmly use their class advantage to secure an important three points.
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At the end of August, the visitors defeated Bodø/Glimt in the final round of Champions League qualification. However, their group stage campaign has been lackluster so far: in the first round, they lost 2-1 at home to Benfica, and two weeks later, they suffered a 0-4 defeat to Inter without much of a fight. Two years ago, Crvena Zvezda faced Monaco in the group stage of the Europa League. In Serbia, the "Red-Whites" put up a decent fight, losing 0-1, but in Monaco, they were thrashed 1-4. It’s likely this encounter at the "Stade Louis II" will also end poorly for the visitors. Crvena Zvezda is arriving in Monaco with a depleted squad: Mimovic, a young Serbian defender who has already become a regular starter, and Ivanic, a key midfielder with 9 goal contributions last season and 2 this season, are both unavailable.
Despite Monaco also having some personnel issues, the hosts are the clear favorites in this matchup. Monaco is a class above, and there are no real questions about the current form of the Serbian team. It’s unlikely that Crvena Zvezda will be able to surprise Golovin and company. I’m backing Monaco to win with a -1.5 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Monaco to win with -1.5 handicap.
