Reports from the French media suggesting that Antoine Kombouaré would be dismissed as Nantes manager during the Christmas break may have been premature. However, Kombouaré is aware that his time in the dugout could be limited. The team has fallen into the relegation zone of Ligue 1 after only one victory in their last 13 matches (D5, L7). This puts them at risk of dropping down to the second division, a level they haven’t played in since 2013.
In their most recent match against Lille, Nantes managed a 1-1 draw. Following the game, Kombouaré, who had left his pre-match press conference in a huff, urged his team to prove themselves and demonstrate their competitiveness in order to distance themselves from danger. He is hopeful that this will be achieved at the Stade de la Beaujoire, where Nantes has an opportunity to secure consecutive home wins for the first time since October 2023. Their last victory came in a 1-0 triumph over Rennes last month.
Monaco‘s opponents will present a challenging examination, particularly because they have only been defeated once in their previous 22 league head-to-head matches (winning 15 and drawing 6). The loyal travelling fans will hope that this serves as a positive sign for their team. Monaco currently occupies the third position in the league table but has failed to secure victories in their last two top-flight fixtures (drawing 1 and losing 1). Their most recent defeat, a 4-2 loss against Paris Saint-Germain, occurred in mid-December.
Following that, Adi Hütter, who recently signed a new contract, guided his team to a victory against Union Saint-Jean, who plays in the sixth tier of French football, in the Coupe de France. However, upon returning from the winter break, they suffered another defeat against PSG in the Trophée des Champions. The manager acknowledged that his team displayed passiveness during that match. Nevertheless, historical records indicate that the Red and Whites tend to perform better in games like this. They have only lost three out of their last 17 away encounters in Ligue 1, winning 12 and drawing 2.
Key battle: Matthis Abline’s late equaliser for Nantes against Lille signifies that he has scored the first or last goal in each of his previous nine appearances. Thilo Kehrer, the defender who has contributed to four clean sheets in his nine encounters with Friday’s opponents, may attempt to silence him. Kehrer has only lost three times (W6) against Nantes and has even scored two goals in the process.
Hot fact: Out of Nantes’ nine away matches this season, seven have witnessed both teams finding the net – the highest in Ligue 1 leading up to this round of fixtures.
