Monaco vs Nice: Match Preview and Prediction

October 5, 2025 18:15. Monaco. Stade Louis II.
French Championship. 7th round

Displayed: Kehrer (Monaco)

Injured: Golovin, Majecki, Mavissa, Wanderson, Zakaria - Abdelmonem, Ndayishimiye, Ndombele, Budaoui (?), Bernardou (?)

On Sunday, the Stade Louis II stadium will host the Côte d'Azur derby, where Monaco will host Nice. The Monegasques suffered a setback last weekend, but after six rounds they still have 12 points, only one win behind the league leaders. Meanwhile, the visitors have started the season much less impressively, finishing in the bottom half of the table.

Monaco

Monaco have shown good consistency in recent seasons under Hütter, finishing second and third respectively. However, to aim for higher results, the Monegasques need more reliability throughout the campaign. Take last round, for example: the club from the principality travelled to Lorient as clear favourites and leaders of Ligue 1. However, the match ended in a shock 1-3 defeat after Kehrer was sent off in the first half. The only goal came from Ansu Fati. It was Monaco's fourth goal of the season - in the first three matches since his debut.

However, in midweek, Monaco proved that on their best days they can threaten any opponent. A late penalty by another player, Dier, secured a 2-2 draw against Manchester City, avoiding two consecutive early defeats. Hütter's team started their European campaign poorly with a 4-1 defeat at Club Brugge. A similar inconsistency has been seen at the start of Ligue 1 for Monaco: defeats at Lorient and Lille, but four wins against Le Havre, Strasbourg, Auxerre and Metz. Each of those wins has seen at least two goals scored, although Monaco have also been regularly conceding. It is no surprise that they lead the league in goals scored, but are among the worst defensively, having conceded 10 already. The solidity of their defence has not been helped by the injury to Majecki, who arrived in the summer and was expected to be the starting goalkeeper. Three penalties conceded is the worst in the league. Monaco also remain the only team yet to concede a goal this season.

However, at home, at the Stade Louis II, Hütter's men look formidable, unbeaten in their last 11 Ligue 1 home matches, with 11 of their 14 goals this season coming there. Another win would make it four consecutive home wins at the start of a Ligue 1 season - a feat they have not achieved since 2003/04. Monaco's last match against Nice was a 2-1 win in March 2025.

Nice

Nice challenged Monaco for a direct place in the Champions League last season. Even after they settled for fourth place in Frank Heise's debut season in charge, the Eagles were given a chance to reach Europe's elite through qualification. But without proper support from management and missing more key players, they were powerless against Benfica – 0-2 in both matches. In the Europa League, Nice will face echoes of last season, when they failed to win a single match and finished second to last out of 36 teams. The new campaign began with defeats to Roma and Fenerbahçe.

Last season's European struggles were offset by successes at home, but now the team looks unstable everywhere. In Ligue 1, defeats to Toulouse, Le Havre and Brest indicate difficult times, repeating past peaks. Both victories came at home - against Auxerre and Nantes - but that mini-series ended with the team failing to hold on to a narrow lead after Diop's goal against Paris, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Nice have lost two of their last two away games in the league this season, four in Europe. Overall, the Eagles have won just one of their last six away games in the league, while seven of their ten goals conceded in the domestic top flight have come away. The attacking problems also continue: 15 missed chances and only one game in which they have scored more than once. Repeating their previous achievements at the Louis II will be difficult - the Eagles have won two of their last three games there, keeping two clean sheets. The most recent was in 2023. The Cote d'Azur derby has been evenly matched in recent times, with three wins each in the last three seasons.

Monaco vs Nice: Expected Lineups

Kerer is serving a suspension for a red card from last week, while Monaco's injury list includes Golovin, Majecki, Mavissa, Wanderson and Zakaria. The wait for Pogba's debut should end soon, but the French star is unlikely to be ready until after the international break. Nice have their share of absentees: Abdelmonem, Ndayishimiye and Ndombele. Boudaoui and Bernardo are questionable.

Monaco vs Nice: Author's Prediction

Monaco have had an extra day to recover and overall they look stronger than their neighbours at the start of the season. So I expect another home win for the Monegasques in a match full of goals.