A free-scoring AS Monaco have enjoyed their best first half to a Ligue 1 season in five years. Whilst their league position may not fully reflect that, Les Monégasques still have everything to play for.
Monaco sit just five points behind Olympique de Marseille, who currently occupy the bottom step of the podium. The Principality side’s first half of the season has been one of mixed fortunes: from the red-card-heavy start to important victories against local rivals OGC Nice and Lyon.
Ultimately, however, the club are the victim of one of Ligue 1’s most competitive seasons in many years. Those at the top, Paris Saint-Germain, RC Lens and Marseille have reached a level of consistency rarely seen in Ligue 1. Monaco themselves have managed to follow in the wake of the podium sides, largely due to their clinical finishing. If their season is to reach a successful conclusion, Philippe Clement’s side will have to keep firing at all cylinders, with none of the clubs around them showing any signs of a let-up.
29 – Monaco have scored in 29 consecutive Ligue 1 matches – the best run of any side in the top five European divisions (Premeir League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1). The run dates back to March 2022, and that fateful match against PSG, that at the time changed the course of Les Monégasques season.
18 – The percentage of shots converted into goals in Ligue 1 this season (42/234). That figure is the highest of any team in Europe’s top five divisions.
42 – Monaco’s 42 goals mean that they are the second-highest scorers in Ligue 1, behind only PSG, who dispose of an attack consisting of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar. In all competitions in the 2022/23 season, nine different players have registered for the Principality side. That includes three defenders: Guillermo Maripán, Caio Henrique and Axel Disasi, who combined have scored seven Ligue 1 goals this term.
2 – The club have two players who have scored more than 10 goals in the league. Wissam Ben Yedder and Breel Embolo have both reached double figures. Amongst the top 10 European divisions, only PSG can boast such a statistic.
37 – The number of points accrued by Clement’s side in the first half of the season. That is the highest total since the 2017/18 season (41 by gameweek 19) when the club finished second in the league. The club have averaged just below two points per match.
20 – The number of points earned away from home. That is the same number as Marseille, and only PSG have earned more (22). Despite trips to PSG, Nice, Lille and Lorient, the club has only lost once on their travels in Ligue 1 this term.
The club are currently on a good run of 1o wins, two draws and two defeats in their last 14 Ligue 1 matches. With the club still also competing in the Europa League, Monaco have everything to play for going into the second half of the season, and the means to make it a great success.
Photo by Monaco Life